Across the Worlds
by Yenna
Summary: Steve's heart hurts for a long time, and he can't find out, what causes this. One day everything turn upside down, when Thor tells him something unbelievable. Then he meets a woman, and slowly every pieces set together. / I know, that the summary is suck, but the story is too complex to put into a few sentences. / Steve Rogers, aka Captain America/OC pairing with the other avengers
1. Chapter one

Hi everyone!

Not so long ago I watched the Marvel's movies, and this idea popped out from my head. I hope, you'll like it. I already wrote three chapters, and tomorrow I'll continue with the fourth. This story will be a Steve/OC story, they'll be the main pair, but the other avengers will get enough role too.

And before the chapter starts, there are some informations about the background (these will appear in the story, but to understand the main plot):

In the universe, everyone has a soulmate, and when the soulmate links comes to life, the mates immediately feel it. If they don't be with each other, their heart ache, and if they don't meet in a certain amount of time, they'll die. So after the awakening of the soulmate link, their main goal is to find their mate. Plus information, that usually the link activates at the age of 90-100.

And another thing before the chapter: I know myself, that I'm terrible in finishing my stories, but I really want to write this story. I already wrote down the short synopsis of the whole story. Please, help me with reviews, I'll really appreciate them! I'm sure, they will help my inspiration. And if one of you can help me with the correction, I would be very happy! I need a beta, because I'm Hungarian, and this story is my first attempt, to write directly in English. I'm not sure, if my grammar is good, or my commas too. Thank you!

And about the future updates: I have a full time job, so I can only write during my trip to the school, where I teach, but I'll try to post one chapter in a week.

Now to the first chapter:

* * *

ACROSS THE WORLDS

Main pairs: Steve Rogers/OC, Tony Stark/Pepper Potts, Natasha Romanoff/Clint Barton

Other characters: Bruce Banner, Thor, Nick Fury, Maria Hill, OC

Everything, which Marvel, isn't belong to me, but my OCs are my own imagination.

* * *

CHAPTER ONE

It started last summer, after his birthday. First there was a dull ache in his chest, and it continuously grew larger and larger, until then he was sure, it can't end well. Maybe the serum started to fade away from his body, thought Steve, because he couldn't find any answer for his unexpected health problem.

While he was grasping the balcony's railing, he lifted his right hand to rub his chest. Today was the worst so far, and this prevented him to enjoy the evening. Somewhere in the Avengers Tower somebody laughed, and hearing the deep voice, it could be Tony or Clint – Bruce was too quiet for this – or Thor. Everybody celebrated, because they successfully tracked down and captured a group, who threatened the world with their nuclear missiles. Steve sat with his friend for a while, and tried to smile, but after an hour, he couldn't take it anymore. So, he walked out the balcony to stare the city. The streets seemed peaceful, as if nobody would want to turn everything into chaos.

"Hey, Cap."

Steve dropped down his right hand from his chest to grab the railing, and just after that he turned towards his friend. Tony's face was lit by the lights of New York, the stars above their heads and the tower's lamps, and Steve clearly saw the worry. He couldn't choose if he should be happy with this or not. Definitely, his friends started to suspect, that something isn't right with him.

"Are you alright?" asked Tony, while he leant against the railing. There was a wine glass in his left hand, but he didn't sip from it.

Steve knew, he should speak about his pain, yet he didn't do it. It was just enough to process the possibility of his coming death – because its chance was very high –, he didn't want to scare him.

"Yeah," he answered after a few silent minutes, and tried to fake a smile. "I'm just thinking."

"Hm…" Tony didn't seem convinced, but after a couple of second, he shrugged. "You know, I think it's time to you finally find a woman. I'm sure, that you love be with us, but we're just a family to you. Sort of. And we can't give you what a lover can. Go, find a woman, and make me proud."

"Make you proud?" asked back Steve with a lifted eyebrow. Tony immediately started to grin, and winked at him.

"Exactly! You must admit it, that your ninety-five years compares to my forty-four, nothing in the love life. So, I feel responsible for you, as if I am your father. I have to make sure, that you won't be alone in your whole life."

Steve started to get embarrassed, as always, when the women were the main topic in their conversation. He shook his head, before his face could turn into red.

"Thanks, Tony, but I can manage my love life alone."

"How? Doing nothing?"

Steve sighed, and silently agreed with his friend. Yes, he didn't do anything. But he didn't feel the urge to find someone. Every time, when he thought about it, it felt so wrong. The only one, during the world war II. also seemed not right if he remembered back. He wasn't sure, why he thought back then, that he is in love with Peggy. Because he wasn't, now he knew it certainly.

"Tony," he sighed again. Not just because of the topic, but because of his chest pain as well, which he tried to ignore. "I know you want to do something good for me, but you have to trust me. If I have ever need some advice or help, I promise, that I will ask you. Now it's not the best time for this."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

As Steve said that little word, immediately knew, it was a mistake. Tony will see through his lie easily.

"You're a terrible liar, Steve."

To avoid his friend's eyes, Steve elbowed on the railing, and stared down at the streets. He couldn't look at him, especially after Tony called him by his name – he was usually Cap or Capsicle, and rarely Steve. It always meant, that the man worried for him.

"So? Are you going to tell me, what's going on, or I'll have to ask Jarvis to investigate?"

It was a promise, not just a simple question, and Steve knew Tony Stark well enough to know, he won't stop until he'll find out the truth. Which wasn't predict good for the future. So, he did the only thing, what he could at that moment – played for time.

"There's nothing to worry about," he said, filling his voice with every confidence, what he found, to convince his friend. He never could lie perfectly, as if he had some kind of defensive system in him against it, and after the serum, it was almost impossible. But he had to try. He wasn't ready to tell his condition to the others. "I'm just tired. The last two weeks was really hard. Of course we succeeded, and the bad guys lost, but surely there will be others, who will attack in the future, perhaps in New York. I'll can't let deflect my attention. The dating doesn't feel right now. It doesn't mean that I'll want to spend my remaining life alone, just now there are more important things than that."

There was a short silence, while Steve straightened, and put his hands in his pockets. But didn't look at Tony yet.

"Okay."

The answer made Steve suspicious. It was too easy to convince the man, but he didn't want to miss his chance to escape from the inquiry. He nodded with his head towards the outdoors stairs, which led up to the Avengers' apartments.

"I think I'm going to bed. Have fun to you for the rest of the night."

Tony didn't protest, just his eyes spoke. They promised that sometimes his secret will be revealed, but until he won more time to finding out, what causes the pain in his chest.

Steve slowly climbed the stairs. He could use the elevator, but then he had to walk across the living room, and he certainly didn't want to meet with his friends. Not now, when he was in such a state of mind. When he arrived to his apartment, he stepped inside relieved, and for a few minutes, leant against the closed door. By then his heart really hurt, so he had to take a few deep breath to calming himself. It was hardly successful, so he started to rub his chest. It helped sometimes, but not now. Then he did the other thing, which helped him slightly in the past months – went to sleep.

* * *

The sleeping usually worked, so on the next day Steve woke up feeling himself better. The only side effect was the nightmare, which turned the better feeling into worst. And of course, this night wasn't exception.

As he closed his eyes, immediately fell asleep, and Steve found himself in the familiar place. The forest was always dark, only the stars above his head gave some light through the huge trees' branches. His steps were noiseless, as he left the forest – he wore his captain suit, with the shield on his back. Before him, there was a building, and while Steve approached it, rage rose in his heart. In his every dream, he couldn't explain, why is he so mad, just knew it, that somebody took something from him.

The front door was locked, but this didn't bother him. He just had to smite down the shield, and he could step inside. Where were roughly fifteen men. First it seemed, that they didn't notice him, but after several seconds, one of them attacked Steve. And the fight started. It was always different in every dream. Sometimes he easily defeated them, sometimes he had to struggle really hard, because they held him down. This time, they tried the latter, but before six of them could jump at him, Steve threw away his shield, knocking out four of the fifteen. After that, he kicked out with his legs, knocking out another four. Seven remained, who were now easy target, Steve just had to summon his shield. This was Tony's invention, and Steve was grateful for this, because it was very useful sometimes. He didn't quite understand the mechanism of the device on his left wrist, but knew absolutely, what he had to do. He just clenched his left hand into a fist with a little wrist twist, and the shield was in his left hand after a few seconds. After that, he needed only two minutes to defeat the others.

Silence fell on the room, even Steve's breathing was quiet too. He didn't see or hear anything, and he couldn't figure out, why he's there. So, he started to look around to find something. He did two rounds, and finally noticed a tiny ray lighting through the wooden wall. It could mean a secret door.

"Let's find out," he muttered under his nose, then he quietly examined the area.

It took few minutes, and Steve found the secret button, then stepped in the hidden place. He immediately noticed the big glass box shaped thing, and the woman in that. She always was in there, and even though he hadn't any idea, who she is, he unconsciously knew, she somehow meant to him something.

She was beautiful. Steve never saw any woman as beautiful as she was. She had long brown hair, which fell on her back with wavy locks, and often, when she looked up, he could see her light blue eyes, and her face was angelic with soft features and light skin. She wore a long, dark blue dress, which was elegant, and weirdly resembled to those gowns, what the women wore in the fourteenth or fifteenth century. At least Steve came to this conclusion. He wasn't sure, but remembered some pictures, what he saw on the internet. There was a magic aura around her. But her elegant face was overwhelmed by a clearly visible pain. Maybe the glass prevented the sounds' escape, because Steve couldn't hear her screaming, only saw it – she kneeled on the glass floor, and yelled with tightly closed eyes. It was heart-breaking, so Steve did the only thing, what his heart told him. With his shield, he struck on the glass wall, but unfortunately it remained intact, and after few more blow, there wasn't yet any scratch on its surface. Steve became desperate, not just because the woman's pain turned much worse, but also because his returned – he didn't feel it since the forest. While he continuously attacked the wall with the shield, his strength started to fade away. After several minutes Steve was afraid, that he can't save the woman, and maybe neither himself. She was already unconscious. His last blow went down weakly onto the glass, before he fell on his knees. He hardly could see, everything was blurred, and black dots jumped everywhere. His breathing was weak. The last picture, what he saw before he passed out, was the beautiful woman, who somehow made her way into his aching heart, even if he didn't know her.

* * *

Steve woke up with a start, and because of his sudden move, fell out from the bed. His every muscles trembled, and he felt himself so weak to stand up, that he remained on the floor. Usually, when he woke up at the mornings, the pain wasn't so bad, and after a few seconds, he didn't even remember the nightmare. This morning was different.

His chest really hurt, and he could recite every single minute of the dream. It was the first time, that he didn't forget it. The woman, who was in such a powerful pain, her beautiful face, his pain also, and the fact, that he almost died. Steve ran his left hand through his blonde hair, while with his other hand, started to massage his chest. He didn't know, how much longer he can hold on.

Steve couldn't tell, how much time had passed, the minutes were blur. Then his bedroom's door burst open, and Tony's face appeared before him.

"Steve?"

Steve couldn't be happy seeing his friend. He was a mess, it was truth, and he tried so hard to avoid these scenes for a while.

"Tony. What are you doing here?"

"Because you're lying for month, and I'll can't let to happen something to you. If you don't do anything, I'll have to. Come on," Tony stood up, then simply grabbed Steve's right arm to pull him up. "We are going to take a little trip to the medical level."

Steve didn't try to stop his friend. Maybe everything will be fine, after Tony found out his bad condition. And maybe it's time to stop lying.

"How did you find out, I'm not well?" he asked the black-haired man, while they headed for the front door of the apartment.

"I asked Jarvis to notify me, if something happening to you. He woke me up a few minutes ago, that you had almost a heart attack." Tony didn't seem to regret his secret action, and Steve didn't complain. It was clear, that his friend was spying on him, only because he was worried for him. "That reminds me…" said Tony, and before they could step out from the apartment, he continued. "Jarvis!"

"Yes, sir?" came the well-known voice from the air.

"Please wake up Bruce, then inform him, that I need him in the medical centre."

"Yes, Mr. Stark."

"I hope, you won't tell this to everybody," spoke Steve, when they started to walk again towards the elevator. "It feels good, that you're worried, and want to help, but I don't want to scare the others."

Tony didn't answer right away, just when they already were in the lift.

"You know, sometime they will find out."

"I know," sighed Steve, while he nodded. It was easily predictable. "I'm just not ready for this. At least until I'll know exactly, what is my health problem."

"Alright." They stepped out from the lift onto a white corridor, which led to a glass door. There were some chairs next to it. Steve dropped himself down on one of them, then silently looked up to his friend. Tony stood there for a few seconds, before he continued. "Now we wait for Bruce, then make some examination on you. And after that, when I'll finally know the truth, we'll decide, what to do."

Steve sighed, and nodded. He knew without any doubt that he faces a long day.


	2. Chapter two

Hi everybody!

Probably this will be the last author's note before the chapters, but I think it's necessary. It's about my OC characters and my OC places.

When I started to think of an Avengers story, I immediately came out with the idea, that I want Steve pair with an OC character, and I want my OCs will be elves. But when I started to write, I realized, that the elves characters are stereotyped, so at the end I created my own race (actually I created my word from the elves word): elhen (singular) and elhens (plural). They live on another planet, which name is Elhenion, and from that the inhabitant of the planet is elhenionian (like Thor, who is an asgardian from Asgard). They look like the people on Earth, so they haven't got any pointed ears, or something like this. Only thing, which I kept, that they are immortals. Because their planet is different from the Earth there will be a few similar created words in the story. And of course these are absolute my own imagination.

Now to the second chapter:

* * *

ACROSS THE WORLDS

Main pairs: Steve Rogers/OC, Tony Stark/Pepper Potts, Natasha Romanoff/Clint Barton

Other characters: Bruce Banner, Thor, Nick Fury, Maria Hill, OC

Everything, which Marvel, isn't belong to me, but my OCs (characters and places) are my own imagination.

* * *

CHAPTER TWO

She was again in the unfamiliar place in her dream. It was weird compared to her home. The city, where she walked, was huge. Tall buildings stretched up towards the sky, and strange vehicles moved only on the ground. And she couldn't find anybody as she searched the area. After a few minutes, she arrived to a circular place, which was closed around by the big houses. Then she noticed him.

Every morning, when she woke up, she couldn't remember anything, but in her dream, she knew very well, why is she there. In her dream world, she could see him.

The scene was always the same. When she appeared at one of the corners of the circle, nothing was happening. The streets were quiet, and the windows mutely reflected each other on the buildings. Then the man came out – ran actually – from one street, chased by several alien creatures. It seemed at first, that he tries to escape, but then, when he arrived at the centre of the circle, he turned around to face them. He wore a strange gown, it was blue, white and a little bit red, and covered every part of his body. His face was hidden by a helmet, and he held a round shape shield in his left hand. While he kept his eyes on his enemies, Lyanna started to worry for him. The creatures were many around him, and they didn't look friendly. She knew, that if she could help him, it would be great, but she didn't learn, how to fight – she rather chose a book, then a weapon. But before she could do something crazy, he threw away his shield.

She hid behind one of the weird vehicle, and stared at the fight in amazement. He was strong, fast, skilful and flexible. He easily defeated his opponents just using his shield with powerful hits, kicks and jumps. Sometimes, during the fight, his helmet fell off, so Lyanna could look at his face after that. He had blonde hair, and if she saw correctly from such a distance, had a crystal clear blue eyes. His face was dirty probably because the battle, but nonetheless she found him handsome. Very handsome. Her heart immediately started to throb. It wasn't that pain, which she felt in her heart and chest for a long time, it was excitement. Excitement, because this man was his soulmate, whit whom she will spend their everlasting life. If she could find him. She knew, that their time unmercifully approximated to the end. If she won't be able to find him, they will die, even if she's immortal.

Suddenly one creature appeared next to her, and clearly wanted to kill her seeing its big and dangerous weapon. Lyanna screamed, and tried to escape from the deadly strike, which came towards her. She despairingly lifted up her hands above her head, but the blow never came. After a brief second, she cautiously looked up to see the enemy was locked on the wall behind her by the round shape shield. He saved her life.

Lyanna turned the centre of the place, and her eyes met with blue. It was like the world had stopped around them. Only this moment, their locked eyes lived onwards. She felt herself spellbound as she slowly stood up, then walked towards him. The pain and suffering was just a faint memory. She would give anything to meet with him in real life and not just in her dreams.

"I miss you terribly!" Lyanna cried out, after she stopped before him. She knew perfectly well, that this is just a dream, yet she had to voice her pain. "Where are you? I want to find you."

A few tears fell from her eyes, and ran down her cheeks. How she desperately wanted to find him, to meet him, to love him. And to hear his voice. Because he never said any words, when they met in these fantasy place. Like this time. He just smiled at her, then rose his right hand to wiping away her tears. Despite he wore leather gloves, his touch was gentle and soft. Lyanna wanted to enjoy this, as long as she could, but he withdrew his hand, and started to retreat.

"Please don't," she pleaded to him, and stretched her right arm towards him. "Don't go."

Everything started to whiten, and the scene changed until her soulmate's face completely disappeared. She cried out in her despair, and burst into tears. She didn't know, where she is. There were glass walls around her, and she couldn't hear anything from outside. Then slowly a voice began to speak, always the same sentence, which cause agony in her heart.

"He's dead. He's dead. He's dead. He's dead…"

"Noooooooo!" screamed Lyanna, while she collapsed on the glass floor. "He can't be dead!"

"He's dead. He's dead."

* * *

Lyanna started up from her sleep gasping for breath and quickly sat up on her bed. She still wept shaking in every limb, which caused the fact, that for the first time, she remembered everything. His soulmate's handsome figure, his smile, then the horror, because he's dead. It was so real, and after her awakening, the pain returned in her heart worse than ever, so she actually believed this.

"No, no, no, no, no!" she kept repeating, while she shook her head frantically.

"My Lady!" came a shout, then her friend appeared in the room. "Lyanna!"

"He's dead, Eislyn!" she sobbed, while the younger elhen sat down on the bed next to her. "He's dead!"

"No, he's not." Lyanna couldn't believe her, so she didn't stop crying, until Eislyn shook her. "Stop it! He's very much alive, because you are too! So don't hurt yourself with this nonsense."

Lyanna tried to calm down, but it was difficult. Not just because the horrible nightmare, but because her pain was hardly bearable. This took so long now, that she couldn't remember those years, when her heart didn't ache. She couldn't hope anymore.

"I can't take it anymore," she said her friend with a weak voice. "I can't find him, and this pain is too much."

"You can't give up, Lyanna."

Watching Lyanna's misery was so sad to Eislyn. She didn't know her for so long, just for a few decades, but she liked her immediately. She did anything to help her in the past, but they didn't come closer to the older elhen's soulmate. The only thing, that they actually found out, that he wasn't elhenionian. And it was hardly enough to locate the man, because he could be anywhere in the galaxy. At this point, they could go just one person, but this was fastidious. At least to Lyanna. But they hadn't more choice. Eislyn took a deep breath, then suggested her only possibly solution.

"Why don't you ask the king for help?"

"You perfectly know, that I can't do that," answered Lyanna without hesitation. Dismay and protest gleamed in her blueish eyes. Clearly she didn't like the idea, but at least she stopped crying. "If I'll go to the palace, the prince certainly will be there too. Everytime, when we met, it didn't end well. I don't want to meet him. Shab deeply despises the whole soulmate thing. I can't even imagine, how he can live after so many years without his soulmate."

Eislyn sighed, and she had to agree with her friend. The prince since he noticed Lady Lyanna, firmly ignored, that the elhen has a soulmate somewhere. He multiple times tried to get Lyanna for him. Yet they must ask for help from the king.

"Alright. I'll go," Eislyn said finally. Lyanna sent her a small smile, and squeezed her hand as thanking it, which she returned with a smile. "Are you going to be alright, My Lady?" asked then.

"I'll try deflect my thoughts."

"Just think of the future. Soon you're going to be together. Don't forget this."

After a few minutes, Eislyn stepped out from her friend's house, then sighed again. She was much younger then Lyanna with her one hundred and eight years, and her soulmate link didn't come to life, so she couldn't imagine how bad this can be to her friend. But it was enough to see the signs of the despair and pain. And it will be much worse, if she won't get any help from the king.

"I'll do anything for My Lady," she vowed, then pulled up her cloak's hood to hide her face.

Eislyn just finished her warrior training roughly fifty years ago, when she met with Lady Lyanna. The noble elhen was her first and only task in her life, and she quickly became friend from the guard.

Elhenion's most cities were built on huge trees, and the elhen inhabitants travelled on the ground or with skyrollers – these vehicles hovered in the air with one, two or more seats. Eislyn's single skyroller stood at the end of the sidewalk. She sat in, then started the motor. The palace was a few minutes away from Lyanna's home, and was also built on the trees. It was enormous from the forest's ground to the huge tree's highest branch. In the middle of the building, there was a wide stairs, which led to the glass entrance. Eislyn stopped her skyroller near, then hurried up the stairs. Inside it was the main lobby of the palace – there were several entries in the building. Because the giant trees prevented most of the sunlights to reach the treehouses, lanterns hung everywhere. In the past these were candles, which changed over the milleniums until nowadays, when everything worked by the energy source in the middle of the forest city.

While Eislyn walked on the corridors towards the king's suite, she passed by several elhens. They greeted each other politely, and then she found herself face to face with a blonde. He was tall and muscular, and if he wouldn't wear a pompous look, he would be a very handsome elhen.

"Your Highness."

Eislyn nodded to the man, then tried to keep out of his way, but the prince didn't give her a chance to escape.

"Eislyn. Where did you leave your protégé?"

It was obvious, that, who is he speaking, and it made the young elhen silently fuming. If he wouldn't be the king's son, she could already teach him the soulmate lesson with a little bit of punishment. But he was untouchable, and unfortunately he thought, that his status let him everything. How much times Eislyn prayed that someone should knock some sense into him. If it's possible with such a dishonest man.

Because Prince Shab still waited for her answer, she couldn't avoid the question.

"Lady Lyanna is with her brother." It was of course a lie, because when she left her friend's house, she didn't see Lord Raven, but what the prince doesn't know, remains unkown. "I'm sorry, Your Highness, but I have to go."

Eislyn didn't let the elhen man to continue the talk, she just stepped aside, and quickly walked away. The corridor was long and straight, so she could feel the prince malignant eyes burning into her back. It was unpleasant, yet she didn't give him a pleasure to see her discomfort. She straightened her back. After a few seconds, Eislyn arrived at the big door, which led into the king's suite. She still could feel the prince look, but she didn't care, instead of she rose her right hand, then knocked.

"Come in."

Eislyn took a deep breath, then opened the door to step inside the room. It was lit by several lanterns. On the left, there were a sofa with two chairs and a table, on the right a huge bookshelf stood from floor to ceiling, and in the centre, stood the king's desk.

"Your Highness," she greeted him immediately with a bow. "I came to you, because I desperately need your help."

King Trion didn't answer right away, he just sat behind his desk, and silently scanned Eislyn. In everyone's eyes, he was a beautiful elhen with his long, blonde hair, with his dark eyes, and with his elegant features. But in the past few years his aura changed. He smiled less and less, and anyone clearly could see, that something is on his mind. But the king never said a word, just his eyes spoke, if someone looked at him very close. Like now. As he watched the female elhen, his eyes spoke about pain, sorrow and sadness. Eislyn didn't want to disturb him, so she continued to stand there patiently, and waited for his answer.

Maybe five minutes passed, when Trion sighed, then stood up from his chair.

"I was curious, when will you come. I thought, that you do it a little bit sooner." His voice was deep and calm, and nothing showed, that there are concerns, which bother him very much. The king came around his table, then stopped to look at her. "But if I think of it a little more, maybe I understand, why didn't you come yet."

"Your Highness."

Eislyn turned her head, because suddenly she felt herself very uncomfortable. The older elhen's last sentence meant one thing. He knew perfectly well, what, or exactly who kept her away from the palace.

"There's nothing to be embarrassed." Eislyn looked at the king carefully, and she noticed his sad smile. How much prince Shab took after his father, and yet he was so much different with his pompous attitude. "Come. Let's continue this somewhere else." The young woman watched him bewilderedly, as he walked to the bookshelf, and pressed a thick tome. It was an unsaid fact between the elhens, that nobody can step inside the suite of the king and queen. And Trion clearly invited her into his rooms across a secret door. Eislyn couldn't decide if she should be thrilled or frightened about this. "If you want to help Lady Lyanna, then keep going. I won't wait for you forever."


	3. Chapter three

ACROSS THE WORLDS

Main pairs: Steve Rogers/OC, Tony Stark/Pepper Potts, Natasha Romanoff/Clint Barton

Other characters: Bruce Banner, Thor, Nick Fury, Maria Hill, OC

Everything, which Marvel, isn't belong to me, but my OCs (characters and places) are my own imagination.

* * *

CHAPTER THREE

The female elhen shook herself in her mind, then hurried after the king. As she stepped through the secret passage, the bookshelf behind her immediately closed. She turned around to watch the wall for a minute, which was a door just a few seconds ago. She still felt herself nervous, nevertheless, she turned back to follow Trion.

They passed several rooms and corridors, until they reached a staircase, which led them down. Because this part of the palace hadn't any windows, lanterns were on the wall giving them enough light. At the end of the stairs there was a door. In contrast to the other entries, this was made from metal, and this pictured the place's importance.

"Nobody can enter, just me," explained king Trion, when he noticed the woman inquiring look. He gestured with his head towards four spots on the wall around the metal door, then turned back to her. "If somebodies try to step in, they can experience the most painful death in the universe."

A shudder passed over Eislyn, while she observed the invisible threats. Hearing the king words, she could figure it out, what kind of weapons hid in the wall. Through the long years the elhen technology developed so much, but their first deathly venenate arrow remained in use. It caused unbearable pain on the enemy.

"I don't want to die," she mumbled under her nose, but maybe she wasn't enough quiet, because she noticed the older elhen's smile.

"Don't be afraid." Trion pushed a button next to the door, and waited, while a screen appeared on the metal surface. It was apparently a scanner, because the king leant closer, and stared at the screen. After a few seconds there was a clicking sound, then the door slowly slid aside. The man gave her another smile, while he pointed into the room. "You have my permission to enter."

Eislyn was still worried, but when she walked into the secret room, she showed confident. But she barely stepped in, when she stopped, then gawked at the scene before her. It was like an operator centre with several machines, consoles and monitors.

"I built it for emergency," said Trion, after he closed the door behind them, then he stepped to one of the computer to type something on the keyboard. In the next minute, the computer's monitor came to life, and showed a live picture about the main hall of the palace. "If something happens, I can operate the planet from here. But not this I wanted to show you." The king straightened, then started to walk towards another metal entrance. "Come."

The younger elhen followed the older, and waited patiently, while he repeated the previous opening procedure. It took just one minute, and this door also slid aside. Eislyn curiously peeked into the room, while the king walked in resolutely. He didn't wait for her, so the woman went after him.

"What's this place?" Eislyn asked, then turned around to see everything.

She knew, that they're somewhere down, below the palace, even so, if she looked at the ceiling, she didn't see it, just the blue sky with the clouds. She stared up, while tried to remind herself, that this can't be the reality.

"When I want to be alone completely, I come here," she heard the king's voice, so she tore away her eyes from the false sky to look at him. Trion stood in the middle of the room next to a big round table. "And because I can watch here anything I want to see in the universe."

"I don't understand."

King Trion motioned towards the stone table, and waited until she joined him, then he touched the marble. Immediately an image appeared on the stone surface – Eislyn could see herself and the king next to her. She didn't expect this. To be honest, she didn't expect anything. She needed her every power not to jump seeing herself. Her voice was gone, and her pulse sped up. Fortunately the man clearly didn't wait for an answer.

"If somebody would be so lucky to enter here, and doesn't die, couldn't do this. It's kind of a privilege." The older elhen gave her a sad smile. "Currently I am the only person, who can use the Eye." He touched the table again, and the image changed. "And my heir will."

Eislyn tried to process the heard information, while she stared at the picture on the stone table. She never saw that before, and she couldn't guess, where it can be. It was a city, that was sure. There were small tables all over the place with people sitting there, while others rushed by them. The elhen didn't quite understand, why the king showed her this scene, then her eyes caught a man, who sat at one of the tables. His hair was blonde, and he wore a brown leather jacket top of a tunic like clothes. He seemed muscular seeing his big arms. In a short time, while Eislyn watched him, so many people tried to speak with him, but it was evident, that he didn't want any company, because he kept his head down all along. Then in the next second, he raised his right hand to his chest. It was the right moment to ask her questions.

Eislyn turned to the king, but he kept his eyes on the picture. His face was emotionless, even so the woman never saw him like this before. Sadness and longing radiated from him, and when he finally raised his head, his smile was pained. Seeing this, crazy thoughts started to twirl in her mind.

"Who is he?" she asked her first and most important question. Eislyn felt in her gut, that this man meant something to the king, and the man's right hand still on his chest made her suspicious. Is it possible, that he's… She didn't finish her sentence. It was too unbelievable.

"I think, you suspect very well, who he is."

"How?" Eislyn could ask just one question, while she stared at the blonde, then back to Trion.

"I only have to focus with my mind, what I want to see, and it appears on the table, no matter if it's in the present or was in the past."

The king touched the surface of the table to change the image, and suddenly Eislyn forgot to breath. The scene spookily bore resemblance with Lady Lyanna's dreams. There was the stranger in a wierd blue-white-red suit, helmet on his head, and a round shield in his hand. She had an image about Lady Lyanna's soulmate by her dreams, so Eislyn knew right away, that this man is, who they have been searching for so much years. However Lyanna's talks weren't near the reality. It was more. His features, moves, and his whole appearance were much more powerful. And apparently the king was aware of his connection to Lady Lyanna. She stared at the man in shock.

"You knew."

"Yes."

The answer was simple, and the woman couldn't hold back her anger.

"Then why didn't you…" Eislyn snapped, but then suddenly realized, who she's speaking to, so immediately cut off her indignant question. "I am so sorry, Your Highness!" she quickly added with her turned down head. She scolded to herself, and she could just hope, that the man won't strike off her head for her disrespect.

"I had to wait for you." Hearing the king's low voice, Eislyn looked up, and see the elhen's guilty face. She suprisedly recognized his compunction. Before she could say anything, Trion continued, while he kept his eyes on the man in the stone screen. "If I called you, my son probably would notice it, and I want to avoid this with my every power." He stopped for a moment, while he tapped the table, and the image changed back. "Lord Celebhest served me in many battle in the past, accordingly his daughter is very dear to me. As Steve's too."

"Steve?" Eislyn was unable to stop herself.

"Steve Rogers." The man placed his right palm on the marble surface, and in the next moment images started to flow, so quick, that the young elhen could hardly follow.

As the time passed, she could slowly put the pieces together. In the end, when the last picture remained motionless – the man was in a brown soldier uniform, and he currently stared something or someone, she couldn't tell –, Eislyn was sure, she could watch his life. And as she processed, what she saw only a few minutes ago, she realized, that there was always a man next to him. Who somehow weirdly bore the same features, as her king. The only one difference was his black hair. Then everything became clear.

"You really know him!"

"Yes." King Trion nodded, before he took away his hand from the table – the image immediately vanished –, then walked to a bench, and beckoned her too. The older man waited, while Eislyn followed him to sit down, and continued, when both of them took a seat. "I already said, that Lady Lyanna is very dear to me," he started after that, and the woman tried to patiently listen to him. "When her heart started to yearn for her soulmate, and when I saw, that you won't be able to find him, I wanted to find him for her. I came here, and thought of him firmly, then figured it out very quickly, that he's on the Terra. After that I just had to make up some plan, because he was so young back then. I named Lord Celebhest for my second in command, then I changed my appearance, and travelled to Terra."

"And how did you find him?" Eislyn asked, and was glad, that the man didn't scold her for her interruption.

"It was easy. Practically when someone was beaten up, it was always Steve." A smile lingered about the corners of the king's mouth. "He was always heroic, wanted to help others. And he wanted to be a soldier at all costs. Nothing could hold him back from that, even if he was everything, but not a soldier figure." Trion paused, and clearly went back to the past in his mind, because his smile turned nostalgic. Eislyn never saw him as emotional as now. "At first, I just wanted to get to know him, to be with him, when his soulmate link come to life, and later tell him his connection with Lady Lyanna, but eventually I became his friend, and he became my friend."

"He didn't know about his soulmate?" Eislyn was confused, because she didn't understand, why he wasn't aware of this.

"Eislyn, the humans on Terra are mortals," explained the king willingly. "They live an average length of time life, and because they usually die after seventy or eighty years, they can't experience the beauty of the soulmate links. Sometimes they meet their mate, but they don't realize it, instead of they believe, that their love is just powerful."

"But if they die, and can't feel the soulmate connection, how can Lady Lyanna feel it?"

"Because Steve not an ordinary man. Can you remember, what I showed you? How skinny young was he?" The woman nodded, and the man continued. "He desperately wanted to be a soldier, but whenever he tried to volunteer, he was rejected because of his medic condition. Then he became part of a super soldier program, and in the end, he was the one, who was selected. He became the first and only super soldier of his country. I assume that's why the fate chose him. But there were problems, and I had to come home."

"What happened?"

Trion didn't answer right away, rather he stood up, and after few steps blankly stared down at the marble stone table. He kept his hands behind his back, and stood like this for a several minutes. Eislyn couldn't see his face, but his rigid posture implied his changed mood. She wasn't sure, that she might was the one, who caused this. When he started to speak again, his voice was quiet.

"I know, that this can't be my fault, even sometimes I blame myself after all." He turned around, and looked at the woman. Seeing his shining eyes with regret, Eislyn became very curious, what might happened in the past, but she didn't dare to ask. She could only hope, that the elhen tell her it anyway, which happened in the next second. "We were on a mission, when unfortunately I had an accident, and we were separated. By the time I was able to look for him, he was believed dead." It was possible, that the king noticed the woman's surprised face, because he quickly continued. "I just came to know not so long ago, that he crashed the enemy's plane into the ice, and somehow stayed alive frozen for nearly seventy years. When the humans found him, he was practically ninety-three years old. Then his soulmate link came alive. It was obvious knowing Lady Lyanna pains, and it would be the perfect opportunity to get together them, but at that time Shab became a threat. I couldn't do nothing. I had to wait for you, because I can't risk their life. Lady Lyanna is my friend, and Steve too. At least I hope he's still my friend."

There were several things, what the younger elhen understood, but there were few, which she didn't. For example, why was the king worried about his friendship with this man. Probably he suspected her thoughts, because he spoke again.

"Because of my injuries, I couldn't be with Steve, when he had the accident with the plane, so I couldn't confute his belief. I'm sure, that he still believes, that I'm dead. Furthermore, at the beginning I didn't dare to introduce myself as I am, so I came up with a name. Of course after the accident, my real name remained unknown." The king gave Eislyn a small smile, then motioned to the exit. "I think you know everything, what you have to. Go. Speak with Lord Raven, but not in the city, and in no way in their home. We can't risk, that my son find it out. Tell him, what necessary, and ask help from him for the journey. He will knows, what you will need."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Eislyn stood, and after a nod towards her king, walked out from the room. But yet from the sill she threw a glance at Trion. The man stood at the marble table, and stared at the empty surface – his face was thoughtful, maybe he mustered the possible future –, then his right hand touched the stone. Before the woman shut the door, she could still see the handsome face of Lady Lyanna's soulmate.


	4. Chapter four

**I WISH YOU ALL A MERRY CHRISTMAS!**

This chapter will be your present, and a picture for my story, what I made this week. You can find this on my Facebook page (the link is in my profile).

Now to the fourth chapter:

* * *

ACROSS THE WORLDS

Main pairs: Steve Rogers/OC, Tony Stark/Pepper Potts, Natasha Romanoff/Clint Barton

Other characters: Bruce Banner, Thor, Nick Fury, Maria Hill, OC

Everything, which Marvel, isn't belong to me, but my OCs (characters and places) are my own imagination.

* * *

CHAPTER FOUR

"I don't understand."

Tony sat at the desk in the office of the medical centre, and watched Bruce, who seemed to be at a loss.

In the past few hours they made several examinations on Steve, and after that, Bruce went through all of them. Till then they sent their patient for a walk with the idea, that it can do him good. And now they sat in the office, and the brown haired man didn't know, what to say.

"I don't understand," Bruce repeated his previous sentence, and shook his head too. Papers lay down before him on the table, he looked into them several times, and he still couldn't see the solution. "Tony, after your telling, there should be some sort of diseases, but there isn't any. Steve's heart is working as perfectly as it should. I don't understand, why he had almost a heart attack."

"You're serious?"

"Why can't I be?" Bruce stood up, while he gave the papers to his friend, then walked to the windows to stare out at the buildings of New York. He really couldn't find any answer, and this made him to despair. He very much liked the captain. "Definitely he's in pain, and yet the ECG tests don't show anything," he said, before he turned around to look at Tony. "How could he be near a heart attack, when his electrocardiogram is completely normal?"

"I don't know," murmured Tony looking at the results of the examinations. Previously he hoped, that they can solve his friend's ill physicality. "Jarvis!" called out in the next second, when a thought popped out from his brain.

"Yes, sir?"

"When you monitored Steve during the night, did you really observed a heart attack?"

"The captain definitely had almost one, sir."

Tony gave a nod into the air after the answer. He didn't doubt Jarvis' statement, because his personal AI system always said the truth. And this led to another question.

"Can you tell me, how is Steve feeling himself right now?"

There was a short silence, before Jarvis spoke again.

"The captain is in pain, that's all. His heart seems to work normally."

"I see. Thank you, Jarvis!"

"You're welcome, sir."

Tony still didn't quite understand everything, but at least Jarvis words confirmed his theory. He turned towards Bruce, who watched him with interest.

"I think I might have some ideas." The black haired man left the papers on the desk, then started to walk up and down around the room. "Firstly, in the past few months, when I started to watch Steve, he never came to near a heart attack. Apparently he was in pain, and although the situation didn't get better, neither get worse. Secondly, the result of the medical examinations doesn't make any sense. It should show some abnormality, if Steve has really some kind of disease. And thirdly, the last night was the only case, when his condition worsened. So this led to me the conclusion, that maybe we searched the answer in the wrong place. Everything point to the fact, that maybe the problem shows up just during the night. What if we can't see them, when Steve doesn't sleep?"

"It's possible," answered Bruce, and for a minute he scratched his chin. "Maybe we can try to examine Steve during his sleep."

"Why do you want to examine Steve?"

Tony and Bruce turned together towards the office's door, where their god friend stood, and clearly didn't understand the situation. For a moment, neither of them spoke, and this short moment was enough to Tony to remember the captain's words. Of course sometime they'll have to tell the others, what's going on with Steve, but till then he'll have respected his decision.

"Thor!" shouted out Tony, and immediately an enthusiastic grin appeared on his face, while he walked to the blonde. "What can I do for my mighty friend? Because you certainly might want something, if you came down here." He hugged the god around his shoulders. "So?"

"I just wanted to ask you, that perhaps could you allow Jane and his two friends to move into the tower? Everybody live here, but you're the original owner of the house after all." After a few seconds he added. "Jarvis said, that I'll find you here."

"Of course!" answered Tony quickly, then turned around the man towards the exit. "Inform Pepper, and she will know, what to do. Actually it's a fantastic idea. We'll can have a welcome party!"

"Thank you, Tony," The Asgardian smiled warmly at his black haired friend, and at first, he seemed to let himself lead out from the room, but before he could step out to the corridor, stopped. "But what was about that examination? Is everything all right with Steve, right?"

"Of course is everything all right. We just want to examine Steve's suit, because he did something with it in the last fight. There's nothing to worry about."

Tony knew, that his face doesn't show any signs of his lies, even the god didn't seem convinced. But fortunately Thor didn't query his explanation. Instead of he nodded, then walked out. Silence fell on the room after that, as the two men glanced at each other, then later Bruce spoke.

"I'm not sure, if he really believed your answer."

"Yeah," sighed Tony, then walked back to the table to pick up the papers about the results. "But I hope he isn't too curious to find out the truth." He look through the examinations once again, then turned his eyes at his friend. "What's your opinion? When do we examine Cap's sleeping, now or the evening?"

"I think, the sooner the better. I'm pretty worried for him," answered Bruce, and the other man nodded.

"Agreed," Tony said, and grabbed his phone. "Then let's call our patient."

* * *

Steve thanked the coffee, when the waitress appeared next to him, then looked down for the umpteen times.

If he would feel himself better, he didn't come to the coffee shop, instead of he rather went to the park for a walk. But the pain in his heart didn't stop, and he didn't feel enough strength to do more, than come to sip some black drink. But this came with the perplexing fans, and Steve didn't quite get used to it yet. In his original time he was a soldier, a captain, and maybe he became famous thanks to his incredible victories, on the battlefield he experienced nothing from it. Then he woke up in a totally different world. It was one thing, that his every friends were dead, but he had to adapt himself to this new world. The technology, the everyday life, and even the people's behaviour was unlike as he knew it from his time. Sometimes his newly found friends laughed at his politeness, but he couldn't change himself. His mother taught him, how he has to behave, and he kept doing this in this modern world too. And of course there were the fans.

When he met Phil Coulson, the agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., and the man revealed his enthusiasm towards him, Steve didn't really know, how to react. At the end he just smiled at him, and tried to cover his embarrassment. He guessed, that he can handle one excited person. Then the Chitauri attack happened, and the one person widened to a whole city. After that a simply and uninterrupted walk became almost impossible. Every time, when he put out his foot from his apartment or the Avengers Tower, there were always several people, who wanted to speak with him. At the beginning he tried to accept their furore, but after a several months it was too disturbing, and when the pain started, he couldn't put a good face on this anymore.

He sipped from his drink, then looked at his watch – he sat at the coffee shop's table for an hour now. He would like to go back to the tower, but before it he wanted to wait for Tony's call. Steve just hoped, that his friends can find out what's wrong with him, because that was obvious, that something isn't quite right with him.

 _Who will campaign door-to-door for America, carry the flag shore to shore for America, from Hoboken to Spokane. The Star Spangled Man with a Plan…!_

Steve almost jumped out from his skin, when he heard his ringtone, as always in the past, and because everybody looked at him immediately, hearing his unusual music, he felt as if he would be in a shop-window. While he rummaged out the smartphone from the pocket of his jeans, he silently cursed Tony, who changed the telephone's ringtone. The black haired man regarded his action very funny, and refused to change it back to the previous one. He said, that Captain America should be proud of his first appearance before the American nation, and deserved that masterpiece as his ringtone – Steve was sure, that the man didn't leave alone Jarvis till his AI system didn't found this old music on the internet, and he purposely cut the song, so when anyone called Steve, the right part of the music started. And of course somehow the others assisted him, and neither of them was willing to show him the phone's use.

On the screen was Tony's name, and his well-known grinned face.

"Did you find out, what's wrong with me?" asked right away, after answering the call.

"It isn't so simple." His friend voice was neutral, but Steve felt, that actually Tony's really worried. "It would be the best, if you come home. We would like to do one more test."

"All right," nodded Steve, even if Tony can't see this, then looked down at his coffee. "I'll just finish my coffee, then I'll go."

"Okey, Cap. We're waiting for you."

Steve broke the call, then picked up his cup. It was slightly cool, but warm enough to drink it. This drink was the one with a few other things, which he liked a most in this new era. He told it a lot of times, that during the World War II. there weren't any luxury. At least not there, where he was. The 21th century was refreshing with the delicious foods. Like the coffee. Steve quickly became addicted to it.

When the black caffeine ran out, he placed the price with tip on the table, then stood up. In the last few minutes there was a young woman, who peeked at him constantly from the corner of the terrace, and as he stood up, she also jumped up from her chair. It was evident, that she wants something from him, but Steve hadn't get the mood for it. So before she could approach him, Steve quickly left the shop.

Apart from the embarrassing people, he really liked this coffee shop, because it was halfway between the park – where he usually did his daily running – and the tower. He chose it today for this reason, because he needed only a couple of minutes to get back to the tower.

"Welcome back, Captain."

Steve smiled hearing Jarvis' voice, then closed the lift door, and pushed the number of his apartment level.

"Thank you, Jarvis."

He was sure, that Tony and Bruce are waiting for him at the medical centre, but before going down there, he wanted to put down his jacket. After a few seconds the elevator arrived at his floor, so Steve stepped out to the corridor, then turned towards his front door.

"Steve."

At that moment the blonde wanted to open the door, so he stopped, and looked towards the voice. It was Thor. His god friend leant against the wall, and seemed very comfortable, even so Steve suspected, that something is still there in the background.

"Thor," Steve nodded to the other man, and didn't slip his notice, when the asgardian looked over him. It was a faint movement, however Steve got a sight of that. "Can I help you with something?"

"I was just thinking. You vanished yesterday too quickly. Are you all right?"

Steve didn't know why, but he had the feeling, that maybe Thor suspects something, and he couldn't be happy because of this. As he scanned the man, suddenly realized, that he had to answer, while he's an awful liar.

"Of course I'm all right," he still lied, then hoped, that his friend doesn't pick up on this. "And you? How is Jane?"

This was an abrupt thought to divert the subject from himself onto the man's lover, and in the next second it turned out a very good idea.

"She's great," said Thor, while a smile appeared on his face. "Actually she will move into the tower in the near future. I just checked the details with Pepper." He paused for a moment, and quickly looked around, evidently checking their surroundings, but they were alone. "I asked her hand two weeks ago."

"Really?" This time Steve didn't have to pretend his smile, even as his pain didn't lessen. Of course his smile was smaller, then in the past, but it was a real one. "I'm really happy for you!"

"Thank you, Steve." Steve stepped forward without a thought, then hugged the blonde god, who returned it with a strong hold. When he stepped back, Thor continued. "The others didn't know it yet, so please don't tell them. Jane and I thought, that we will reveal it, when she will arrive here."

"Certainly." Steve felt himself touched. It was one thing, that they liked each other almost from the beginning, and easily could match their fighting style during the missions. But he didn't think even in his dreams, that he would be the only one, who learns the asgardian's engagement before everybody else. "Thank you for telling me."

Thor answered with a nod and a smile, then slightly sobered.

"Are you sure, that you are fine?"

"Yes," said Steve immediately. The blonde god's previous attitude was touching, but he didn't feel the urge to do the same politeness. At least not now. Maybe Tony and Bruce will be able to find the cause of his unknown illness after this new examination. Thinking of this, Steve realized he had to go. "I have to go," he said aloud too, not just in his mind, then motioned towards his apartment. "We will speak later."

Steve didn't wait for any answer, instead of he turned, and stepped into his living room. As he closed the door, he didn't dare to look towards his friend, who certainly remained there, where he stood before. He just hoped, that when he will leave his apartment after a few minutes, the god won't be in the corridor.


	5. Chapter five

**HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!**

Now to the fifth chapter:

* * *

ACROSS THE WORLDS

Main pairs: Steve Rogers/OC, Tony Stark/Pepper Potts, Natasha Romanoff/Clint Barton

Other characters: Bruce Banner, Thor, Nick Fury, Maria Hill, OC

Everything, which Marvel, isn't belong to me, but my OCs (characters and places) are my own imagination.

* * *

CHAPTER FIVE

Eislyn hurried up the stairs, which encompassed the wide tree. She was excited, and she hardly could wait to see her friend. She was sure, that Lady Lyanna will be thrilled hearing the news of his soulmate. When Eislyn left the palace, she was happy to not see the prince. She wasn't sure, how she could handle him otherwise.

She arrived at the patio of the house, and quickly walked in – the hall was big enough for a ball. In the centre, there was a fountain. Its babbling voice was always very soothing. Eislyn still could remember her first day of the duty as Lady Lyanna's guard. Her nerves were all on edge, because she knew perfectly well the family's important position in the elhen community. As she waited for Lord Celebhest, the head of the house, and his daughter in the hall, the music of the water helped her to calm down her nervous mind. Behind the fountain in front of the entrance there was a balcony, almost between them was a stairway, which led up to another floor, and there were corridors in both ways. Eislyn turned to the right to find Lyanna. She guessed, that the woman didn't leave her rooms, and when after a few minutes she knocked on her door, she heard her voice.

"Come in."

Eislyn stepped into the room, which was her lady's parlour, and immediately caught sight of Lady Lyanna. Her heart flinched seeing her dear friend. The lady's face was very pale, clearly she was in pain. In her lap there was a book, but she didn't seem to reading it.

"My Lady, how are you feeling?" She walked towards her, and sat down next to her. Lyanna just raised her eyes, and Eislyn could see the suffering in them. She knew perfectly well, that they'll have to leave as quickly as they can. She smiled at her, while she reached out her friend's hand to squeeze it. "I have good news for you."

This one sentence worked like a charm. The elhen's face almost blossomed, and her eyes started to water by her tears.

"Did you find him?!"

Her voice cracked, and the next second her hands flew up to her cheeks to cover her mouth. Eislyn seeing the other woman's happy tears, she knew it right away, that she has much to be thankful for to the king.

"He's on Terra, My Lady," told the younger elhen quietly, and squeezed the lady's hand one more time. "You need to pack for a long journey, and you need to do it yourself. We can't risk, that Shab possibly may get wind of it. I'll gladly help you, if you want, but before I'll have to speak with your brother."

"You're very kind, Eislyn, but I'll do it myself," answered Lyanna, and quickly put aside her book. Her tears still fell down from her eyes, but this time the reason of them was her happiness and not her pain. "Thank you. I'll be indebted to you for your help in my entire life."

Eislyn started to feel tears in her eyes, and she couldn't hold back her smile.

"My Lady, you aren't my protégé only, you're my friend also, and I'll do anything with my power for your happiness and safety. I swear!" After one more hand squeezing she stood up. "I'll go to find Lord Raven. I hope we'll be back in a few hours."

The younger elhen left the room, and headed towards the main hall, where she could go forwards, and find Lord Raven. She just hoped, that the man will be at home, and she won't have to search the whole tree city for him. Before Eislyn could step onto the other corridor, she found herself face to face with an elhen servant. He couldn't have better timing, she thought, and immediately took advantage of the opportunity.

"Greetings to you. Can you tell me, where can I find Lord Raven? I need to speak with him."

The man gave her a nod, then pointed towards the lord's rooms.

"Lord Raven is with her mate in their parlour."

"Thank you, sir."

After one more nod the woman continued her walk. This part of the house was slightly different, than Lady Lyanna's rooms, but almost the same. She reached the door in a few minutes, which was opened, so Eislyn noticed the pair instantly. They stood on the parlour's balcony, and clearly they were indulged in each other.

Lord Raven and her soulmate, Lady Thilian were beautiful together. Lady Lyanna's brother was a tall and muscular elhen, a lot of woman envied Lady Thilian for this, because she could be his mate. The man's features bore a lot of resemblance to his sister – with his soft lines and noble posture –, the only difference was his shoulder lengthed hair, which was rather black than brown like Lyanna's, and he wore it in a tail. His chin was decorated with a little mustache and a beard. Next to him Lady Thilian was the star in the night with her long silver-blonde hair, light grey eyes, and fair skin.

The lord smiled at the woman, and probably just wanted to bend down to kiss her, when he saw her. He immediately stiffened, but it was only one moment, and he was composed again. Then he said something to Lady Thilian, likely about her, because the woman turned her head towards the door. Lord Raven added some more, then after a quick kiss, he left her on the balcony.

"Eislyn."

"Lord Raven." The younger elhen greeted him with a bow, then gave him a cautious look. "I would like to show you something, if you would allow me."

The man noticed the importance of the situation right away. It was obvious, because in his dark blue eyes understanding gleamed. He glanced back at his mate for a brief second, then turned back to the woman.

"All right." He motioned towards the corridor. "Please, show me."

"Thank you," smiled Eislyn to Lord Raven, but didn't move, and because the elhen's eyebrow rose up in expectation, she explained her hesitancy. "Can we go with one of your vehicle? My skyroller is only for one person."

"Of course."

Lord Raven led the woman out from the house, and down to the platform, where the skyrollers stood. Apart from the building, which was huge, the number of the vehicles showed how wealthy was Lord Celebhest's family. And maybe their money, but definitely Lord Celebhest's and his son's warrior status caused their influential position in the elhen society. Eislyn was sure, that this was one reason, why the prince tried to always approach Lady Lyanna. Now, that they finally have the information about the lady's mate, Eislyn hoped, that the man will put him in his place. It's time for Shab to accept, that the lady belongs to someone else.

The older elhen stopped at a double skyroller, and reached out for the door of the passenger's seat, but the woman was faster. Eislyn opened the door, and sat in, while the lord went around to also get in. She didn't dare to look at him, and felt, that slowly warmth spread over her face. She was used to be polite and compliant towards others, and she didn't even expect such thing in turn.

"Where?"

Lord Raven's voice didn't imply his displeasure about her behaviour, and this eased Eislyn. In the next several minutes she led him without a word. She wanted to be alone with him, therefore they had to go up above the trees. Possibly the man guessed her purpose, because he didn't resist. After a few minutes they arrived up, where the lord stopped the vehicle, then turned towards her.

"You found him."

It wasn't a question. Lord Raven knew perfectly well, what did the woman want to say to him. It was evident, when Eislyn approached him. Accordingly she didn't beat around the bush, when she answered.

"He's on Terra," she repeated, what she already told to Lady Lyanna.

"Then you will need a ship," declared the man, and continued immediately. "Use one of my own starship. The Terra is in at least one week from here, if you have the proper engine, and I know, that the Nuria can take the journey in four days. And of course you need an escort. I know, that the terrians aren't hostile, but you can't leave nothing to chance. I will select a team personally, who will help you. If you would like to come with me, then come."

"Yes, Lord Raven. I would like to get to know them."

"All right." The lord started the skyroller's engine, but remained above the trees. "We have to divert Shab's attention, and I think I already have the best idea. After your departure, I'll spread the news, that you went to the mountains to rest, because my sister didn't feel herself well. And by the time he'll realize, that you're not there, you will be already on Terra, likely with Lyanna's mate."

"Thank you, Lord Raven."

Eislyn would gladly accept a brother like this elhen, because unfortunately she was the only child of her parents. Lord Raven was well-known for his unconditional love towards his sister, and towards his mate also of course.

"Did the king show you him, or just told, where you can find him?" asked the man, while slowly manoeuvred the skyroller down. Hearing this, Eislyn remembered the pictures about the man on Terra, and she sent a smile to the elhen.

"I saw him," answered then, and because Lord Raven seemed to be really interested, and of course they spoke about his sister's mate, she willingly continued. "He's a soldier. Some kind of warrior on Terra. The king didn't show me much, but by the images, what I saw, he has strength and very powerful fighting skill." Eislyn would dare to swear, that she suspects, what would Lord Raven like to hear. Since she could say exactly that, she told him. "He will be able to protect Lady Lyanna."

"Good to hear it," nodded the older elhen, as he reached the busiest part of the city's traffic.

The skyroller was roofed, yet they didn't speak more. Because neither of them wanted to risk, that the prince may notices their plan, both of them sank in their thoughts. Lord Raven ran over the necessary tasks in his mind, while Eislyn thoughts were on the journey before them.

* * *

Lyanna was excessively happy for the first time for a long time now. She could hardly wait to see her soulmate. This joyful thought slightly could efface her pain. She still felt it, but at least she had something to think of.

In the last one hour and a half she packed, what she felt necessary for a liftime journey. She was absolutely sure, that if her family won't ask her, she will stay on Terra. If she just thought of the prince, this decision seemed to be the best idea. She looked over her package, and tried to notice, if she missed something, but she found nothing. She sat down her sofa, abruptly feeling herself very tired. In the last few months she got tired easily. Lyanna blamed it on her aching heart. She often and suddenly fell into a slumber, and these times she couldn't escape from the nightmares. As now. Her eyes closed on their own accord, and in the next second she fell asleep.

Lyana found herself in her dream. The weirdness was this time, that she still was in her sleeping room. Yet she couldn't believe, that this dream will be different, so she set out to find her mate. Certainly he had to be somewhere here. She stepped out from her room into her parlour, then into the corridor. Nobody was there, everything was quiet. So quiet, that she shuddered. When she exited from the house, the outdoors surroundings were the same. Lyanna warily went down on the stairs, because she didn't know, what she will find before her. After a few minutes she saw a long bridge, which she didn't see before, and which led somewhere up. She instinctively felt, that she shouldn't head there, but her feet chose that direction on its own accord. As she went up and up, the air became cold, while the trees bent in the sunbeams' way. Lyanna started to shiver, which was frightening, because on Elhenion there was always summer. She hugged herself with her arms, but it wasn't enough. When she reached the bridge's end, she was really cold, then she stepped onto a big platform, and her heart froze.

The first, what she saw, was her brother. Raven lay on the ground covered by his blood – clearly he was dead. Lyanna's tears immediately started to fall down. Then her eyes noticed her father and mother, and Thilian, her brother's mate, and Eislyn. They were all dead. Their empty eyes taunted her. But the worse didn't happen yet.

Lyanna swayed, and started to feel herself dizzy. She could see less and less because of her tears, which watered her cheeks. Then as she staggered towards her loved ones, every previous pain became nothing, when the horrible scene appeared before her. There was Shab, with a crazy look on his face, and to her horror, in the prince's grip her soulmate. Maybe they fought with each other before, because both of them had wounds, and her mate's shield lay on the platform broken a few paces off. But the man was still alive, even as the prince seemed to gain ascendancy over him.

"Did you come to rejoice our future life?" The prince voice was hoarse, as he spoke, and when Lyanna turned her frightened eyes towards him, he sent a grin to her. "He's just a human, a nothing, a weak little thing. He'll never be as noble as us, and when we'll be enjoying our beautiful immortal life, he'll be already dead. Come with me, and spend our life together!"

"You're insane!" Lyanna didn't believe, that she could say anything, but her voice worked, even if a little bit shakily. Her eyes met a crystal blue one, and as she noticed the pain in them, she couldn't hold back her sob. "Please don't hurt him," she begged to the elhen prince. "He's everything to me, my world, my life. If something happens to him, I will die. Please!"

"Don't be afraid, I will be next to you all the time." Shab spoke like he just promised a present to her. "The pain will vanish, and you will be happier, then now. Trust me, dear Lyanna."

"I will never trust you!" she shouted to the man, and stepped forward, while she clenched her fists. "Release him!" Lyanna was prepared to do anything to save her mate's life, even if she was much weaker, then the prince. "He's my mate!"

"You're wrong."

Lyanna couldn't do nothing, when she saw, as the prince right hand rose with a dagger. She watched the whole scene like a slow motion – Shab stabbed the dagger into the man's heart, then her mate lifeless body tumbled on the ground. After a few seconds Lyanna realized, that she hears her own scream, and when she looked down, she noticed the bigger and bigger red spot on her dress over her dying heart.

* * *

"Lyanna! Lya! Wake up!"

Lyanna's eyes sprang open, and stared up her brother, while gasping for air. She needed at least two minutes to realize, that she really see Raven, and the man aren't dead.

"Raven!" she cried out, and jumped at him to hang on his shoulder. Her brother immediately hugged back her, then started to rub her back. "I dreamt your death!"

"I'm fine, Lya," said gently the older elhen, and when he released her, gave her a soft smile. "Whatever you dreamt, it wasn't the reality. Everyone is all right, and you will depart tomorrow. In five days everything will be perfect."

Her dream was still in her mind, but the future gave her assurance, that every suffering will be forgotten, after she'll unite with her soulmate. She just had to think of the journey. The pain was in her heart, but hope too, and it was enough to hold on. Lyanna smiled returning his brother's smile.

"Thank you, Raven," she whispered, then pecked the man on his cheek. "I love you."

"I love you too, dear sister."


	6. Chapter six

ACROSS THE WORLDS

Main pairs: Steve Rogers/OC, Tony Stark/Pepper Potts, Natasha Romanoff/Clint Barton

Other characters: Bruce Banner, Thor, Nick Fury, Maria Hill, OC

Everything, which Marvel, isn't belong to me, but my OCs (characters and places) are my own imagination.

* * *

CHAPTER SIX

"Are you sure about this?"

Steve lay on one of the bed in the medical centre, while he warily watched his two friends. After he put down his leather jacket, fortunately he didn't find Thor outside his apartment – he wouldn't want to lie to him. Then he went down to the medical centre, where Tony and Bruce explained him the following examination. They will give him a sedative injection, and while he'll be sleeping, they will test his heart via the ECG machine.

"Of course, Cap."

Tony's voice was absolutely confident, even if he actually wasn't. While he waited with Bruce for their friend's arrival, they discussed this test a several times. What would they do, if will really happen, what he guessed. It was a possible future, and Tony didn't dare to admit even to himself, that he was scared like hell. And surely he didn't want to show it to Steve, who seemed also very nervous. Rather he repeated the main points of the procedure.

"Bruce gives you an injection to you in a minute, and you're going to fall asleep. Then we will monitor you while you're sleeping." Tony pointed to the electrodes on Steve skin, then towards the machine next to the bed. "These will help us to figure it out, what's going on with you."

"I hope, you'll find any solution," remarked the blonde man. He really wanted to know the truth.

"How are you feeling?" stepped to the bed Bruce too, and he touched his friend's arm for a second. "Do you feel yourself comfortable?"

"As comfortable as it could be," answered Steve, then gave the man a faint smile.

"All right." Bruce raised his hands, and the injection needle in them. Seeing this Steve suddenly remembered his super soldier transformation, and the needles, which stung into his arms, then the pain. He had to shake his head a little to banish those pictures. "You will feel a tiny stung."

Clearly Bruce was as nervous as his friends, and it didn't help to Steve. He would like to be somewhere else, because he didn't quite enjoy the fact, that he will be dreaming soon. His last nightmare was still in his mind. The beautiful woman, whom he didn't know, and yet he couldn't not think of her since then.

"Just do it!"

Steve felt as the needle got under his skin, but it was nothing compared to his heart's pain. Then his eyes slowly became heavy, and after a few seconds they finally closed. As he gave himself to the sleeping, he immediately found himself on the fields of dreams. Last time he was somewhere on an unknown place, but now weirdly he stood in his own apartment in the Avangers Tower. He wonderingly looked down, and noticed, that he wore the captain suit again, except his helmet. Because he knew, that something always happens in his dreams, he didn't remain in his rooms. That will be the best, if he encounters with, whatever might waits for him. So he called his shield, which lay on the floor next to him, then he stepped out to the corridor.

As he walked towards the elevator, the tower seemed too quiet. Every day there was some noise in there. He could hear Tony's attempts, when he tried to develop his armour, or Natasha and Clint, when they trained, or Thor's lightning, or Bruce's Hulk tests or something else. But now there weren't any noise or speaking. And it was disturbing. But he tried not take notice of this. When the doors of the lift closed, he was ready to face anything.

At first he thought, that he'll leave the tower, but then he threw out the plan. Instead of he got out from the lift at the living room. As he stepped out, he instantly stopped, and stared at the unfolded sight before him. His every limb froze, and his brain stopped working for a few moments. He always knew, that his newly found friends meant a lot to him, but seeing their dead body just confirmed it. The first one, whom he saw was Tony. Steve quickly knelt down next to him, but when he touched his neck, he didn't feel any pulse. Steve repeated it with the others. It seemed, that they didn't give in so easily, but they died eventually. Lastly he cowered down to Thor, and when he felt his faint pulse, he hove a sigh of relief.

"Thor," he murmured, while he looked over his friend's body. There were several wounds on him, the most of them was just a scratch, but one really alarmed Steve. The biggest one on Thor's chest. It was continuously bleeding, so Steve looked around to find some material, which he could use to press down on the wound. "Don't give up!" he said during his searching, rather to himself and not to Thor, because the asgardian clearly was unconscious.

There was a white cardigan, probably Pepper's over on the couch. It wasn't, what he searched, but it was enough for a while till he'll call the ambulance. He just wanted to stand up to get it, when his god friend's left arm shot up, and grabbed his right forearm. He stared down to see the haunted looking eyes of Thor.

"He wants to kill her."

"What?"

Steve couldn't quite catch the meaning of his barely audible statement. Thor evidently was desperate, because in the next minute, he yanked down him with a strong and abrupt move, so they came very close to each other.

"He wants to… kill her…"

In Steve's mind something stirred, while he watched helplessly as every strength and at the end the life also flew out from his friend's body. Actually Thor's death hurt him principally. The god bore his typical characteristic, so he was the one, who could understand him mostly.

"You can't save them."

Steve looked up, when he heard the unfamiliar voice, and he froze for the second time in the last few minutes. There was a man. His hair was blonde, and perfectly combed, in his grey eyes he noticed malice, and his figure was tall and slightly muscular. He wore strange clothes, a leather boots, a pants, which was made also by leather, a long tunic over it, and a cloak. And which made Steve to get frightened, he held a dagger to the woman's throat, who was trapped in his arms. She was that woman, who was in his mind since his previous dream.

All of a sudden anger started to boil in him, as he slowly stood up. His eyes never left the both of them, and clenched his fists.

"Let her go," he growled with set teeth, then stepped closer. "Let her go."

"I think you aren't in that position, where you can give me any order." The man seemed very confident, and a little bit arrogant, so Steve felt a quick urge to knock him down with his shield. "Here I am the one, who can give a command." The stranger grinned, then rose up a bit his weapon towards the skin of the beautiful woman. "For example, watch her death."

"Let her go!" Steve shouted, and at the same time he threw away his shield, then he jumped.

But it was all for nothing. His shield hit the man in his face of course, but he got his dagger already into the woman over her heart. Steve got there only to catch her. While he knelt down, gently holding her in his arms, blood soaked her dark blue dress from the wound. He remembered his last dream, when the woman was in terrible pain, and he couldn't see her face completely, but now he could.

Pain started to torture his heart – he didn't even realize until this moment, that he didn't feel any pain previously –, as he watched her features. She was breathtakingly beautiful – her face, her shiny dark brown hair, and her turquoise eyes, which were widened by the suffering. She evidently wanted to say something, but Steve spoke before her.

"Please, don't speak. You'll just make yourself tired."

Steve stood, and hurried to Pepper's cardigan, then tenderly laid down the woman on the couch. He focused on the wound with his every nerve. He knew without a single thought, that he wanted to save the beauty's life. He had to. It wasn't questionable. So with trembling hands he pressed down the white material to the big red spot.

"It's… too late."

Hearing her breathless words, Steve quickly raised his head from the wound to her face, then immediately started to shake his head. It was the first time, that he heard her voice, and yet he could just concentrate on that thought, that it couldn't be late. He didn't want to be late.

"No." He couldn't accept her possible death. She can't die like his friends. "No!" he repeated a little louder, and continued shaking his head.

"Please…" Steve felt a gentle touch on his cheek, which stopped him, then stared into blue. He gasped. Her lightly touch and her painful look tore him apart. "I have been waiting for this moment… for a long time now." Her suffering face was lit by a weak smile, then her other hand rose up too to touch his skin. "I have been searching for you, and now… I found you…"

Their eyes locked into each other, and he lost in that moment. But unfortunately it didn't last forever. In the next second the woman's hands dropped down, and her eyes clouded.

"No!" cried out Steve, as he immediately caught her falling hands, and he put his thumb over her wrist to check her pulse. To his biggest dread, it continuously slowed, and after a few seconds, stopped. "No…"

Steve looked at the blonde man, who still lay unconsciously on the floor. He was suddenly overrun by the rage, and the urge to beat him to pulp. But when he wanted to stood up, the pain in his heart became completely unbearable, that he couldn't hold back his shout. He stooped onto his knees, then fell off the couch. While he desperately grabbed his chest with his right hand, one thought woke up in his mind – he just needs a few minutes, and he certainly will follow her into death.

* * *

At the beginning everything seemed normal, and Steve's heart worked just fine. But Tony remained uneasy. He constantly stared at the screen before him, never looking up. He couldn't drive away his worried thoughts, that maybe something will happen. Something terrible.

"His results are good so far," he heard Bruce's voice next to him, so he finally raised his head tearing away his eyes from the monitor. His laboratory buddy clearly was as anxious as himself. "I start to think, that we're searching the nothing."

"Don't give up," answered Tony, while he turned back his previous action. When his eyes were again on his friend's record, he continued. "You very well know like me, that there's something, which causes Steve's pain, and I want to find out. I won't let this unknown disease to kill my friend. I won't stop, until I'll solve this."

He heard Bruce sighing loudly. Tony held back his own, then for the first time he stepped away from the screen. He wanted to look at his friend, who were sleeping in the next room. He didn't opened the door, just looked through the little window on it – he wasn't sure, if he wouldn't wake him up. Steve seemed peaceful in his sleep. His chest went up and down with a normal speed. Maybe nothing will happen, and at the end they will find out, that Steve hasn't got any disease. Tony would give away all of his money for this one moment.

"I think you should see this."

When Bruce spoke, Tony noticed, that Steve's chest started to rise and fall much faster. He surely didn't dream something nice, because his discomfort was easily read from his face. He frowned, while he often shook his head, and he clenched his fists too. Then his distress turned into something dreadfully more in just a few minutes.

"Tony!"

His friend's shout abruptly pull out Tony from his frozen mind. He quickly ran back to Bruce to look over the result. Every value showed, that Steve's shape rapidly goes downhill.

"Shit! What's happening?!"

"He's going into heart attack!" In the next second Bruce vanished into the room, where Steve slept. Just his panicked voice remained. "We need to give him a beta blocker!"

Tony ran after him, and watched as his friend quickly prepared the intravenous injection. This few seconds seemed like an hour, and by the time Bruce was ready to thrust the needle under Steve's skin, he was all nerves.

"Stop!"

A very familiar lightning came, and knocked out the needle from Bruce's hand. The force of this glowing power took down Bruce also. Tony tried to turn and interfere, but in the next second he found himself on the floor three steps away by a strong stroke.

"Thor, what the hell are you doing?!" he shouted, and quickly jumped up to confront the god. "Possibly you just killed him!"

"I'm definitely not."

"What?"

Tony couldn't believe, what his friend is doing. With every seconds they came closer to Steve's death, because the delay of the injection was deadly for him. He stepped forwards, but the hummer appeared before his face.

"Don't." It was the only thing, what Thor said to him, then he turned to Steve, and shook firmly his shoulder. "Steve!" He shook him again, and after a moment the blonde's eyes sprang open with a loud gasp.

"What?"

Tony snatched his head towards Bruce, who stood before the ECG machine, and stared at it with stunned eyes. There was a little blood in the corner of his mouth maybe because of his hard fall, but apart from that, he hadn't got any injuries. And fortunately he could keep in check his anger, so he didn't turn into green.

"Bruce?" He slowly walked to his friend, while he didn't tear away his look from the asgardian and his friend on the bed.

"His values are going back to normal."

At first Tony didn't believe this, but after seeing the results, it was evident. And shocking. It seemed, that the danger of the heart attack vanished with the wakening of Steve. He stepped to the bed, and looked at his friend, but at the same time he intentionally ignored Thor. Steve looked, that he still trapped with the demons of his dream. Whatever he dreamt, it wasn't pleasant. He gently touched his other shoulder.

"Steve, are you all right?" he asked him, and immediately vowed, if the man's answer will be something bad, he will beat out the shit from Thor. But Steve just turned his haunted eyes at him. Clearly he wasn't sure, where he is, and what's going on, and in the next minute, his answer proved it.

"What happened?"


	7. Chapter seven

Because today is my birthday, I upload a new chapter sooner, maybe like a bonus, and on the weekend I'll upload another (I don't know it yet).

Have a good day Everyone! :)

Now to the seventh chapter:

* * *

ACROSS THE WORLDS

Main pairs: Steve Rogers/OC, Tony Stark/Pepper Potts, Natasha Romanoff/Clint Barton

Other characters: Bruce Banner, Thor, Nick Fury, Maria Hill, OC

Everything, which Marvel, isn't belong to me, but my OCs (characters and places) are my own imagination.

* * *

CHAPTER SEVEN

He still saw the woman's death in his mind, and he still could feel the infernal pain in his chest, which just slowly faded. And of course thanks to these feelings, he needed several minutes to realize, that he isn't in his dream anymore. Tony looked very stressed next to his bed, and surprisingly Thor was there too.

"What happened?" he asked, and tried to find out why his black haired friend didn't look towards the blonde, and why is blood on Bruce's face.

"Everything was fine awhile, then you went into heart attack," appeared Bruce at the bed. "I just wanted to give you the beta blocker injection, when Thor stepped in, and inhibited me. A little bit drastically, if I should say that."

"I'm sorry, but I couldn't let you do this." It was Thor, but his voice didn't show, if he truly regretted his action. "And I hadn't got the time to explain. I must woke up Steve."

"How did you know, that Steve's condition will get better, if you wake him up?"

"I didn't know. It was just an idea." Thor pointed to the outer room, where he came from. "I wanted to know, what you're doing with Steve, because I'm sorry, but I couldn't believe it, what you said previously. When I arrived, you just wanted to give Steve the injection. It was just a thought to wake him up. And as a matter of fact, it was a good idea."

"Even so it could become a very bad decision."

Bruce absolutely, and slightly Tony too seemed convinced, but Steve could see through the facade. He was sure, that Thor knew perfectly well, what he was doing, just he didn't want to let them know it. And he possible also knew, what's going on with him, what he wanted to find out so desperately. Before he left the room, he repeated his previous statement, that his actions were definitely a pure accident. Steve didn't believe him, and quickly decided, that he will visit him. Maybe he should tell the god the truth.

"Are you feeling better?" asked Tony right away, when Thor wasn't with them, while he gently removed the electrodes from Steve's skin. He probably collected himself during the last few minutes, because there weren't any signs of his nerves.

"I think, yes."

In justice Steve couldn't decide, how he felt himself. His pain lessened in some degree, but it was still there in his heart, and his nightmare didn't want to vanish. In the morning, when he woke with a start, and he could remember his dream for the first time, it was depressing. Seeing that beautiful woman's pain was like someone would rotate a knife in his heart. Then there was his new dream, wherein she died in his arms. Steve was aware of the fact, that it wasn't the reality, and yet he was still mad at the man, who killed the woman, and he still couldn't get over the pain.

"I would like to take some blood sample from you," Steve heard Bruce, who were still at the bed next to Tony. "If Thor's guess is truth, then we have to find some solution for your sleeping. If you don't mind..."

"I don't mind," answered Steve quickly, which was returned with a small smile.

"Maybe I can make something, which won't be allow you to sleep, when you're coming near to a heart attack." While Bruce took his blood sample, Tony thought loudly. His look was determined, and Steve was sure, that at the end his friend will come out with some brilliant idea.

Steve left the medical level with the black haired man's promise, that he will make something for him till the evening. He went back to his apartment, and sat down in the living room. He still felt himself bewilderedly, so he needed to collect himself before he's going to go to seek out his god friend. He couldn't forget the pictures of the woman's death. If he thought about it for just a minute, his heart's ache turned into so much worse. If she would be someone dear to him. It was really alarming. He stood up from the couch, and called out to Jarvis.

"Jarvis, do you know, where is Thor right now?"

"He's on the roof, Captain."

"Thank you, Jarvis."

"You're welcome, Captain."

Steve smiled slightly hearing the politeness of Tony's AI system. After he moved in the tower at first it was weird to speak with a bodiless voice, but eventually he got used to it.

He took his leather jacket – if he will need it outside –, then left his rooms, and walked to the elevator. He wanted to speak with his asgardian friend, because he felt, that Thor is the only one, who maybe can give him some answers. The lift arrived up after a few minutes later, and the door opened silently. As he stepped out, Steve immediately noticed Thor, who sat on a wood chair, and stared at the afternoon sun. There was another chair next to him. After several seconds, he slowly approached him.

"Can I sit with you?" he asked him, and when the blonde turned towards him, he didn't look surprised.

"Of course."

Steve sat down, and put down his jacket on the armrest of the chair. He was silent for a few minutes, while he tried to find the right words. At the end he decided, that he won't talk round. He asked his question straight.

"Do you know, what's going on with me?"

Thor didn't answer right away, just looked at him. His face was unreadable, but his eyes showed his concern towards his friend. Steve started to think, that maybe the god doesn't know the answers for his question, when he finally spoke.

"What were you dreaming?"

He not expected this exactly answer, which was actually a question. But he wanted explanation for his problem at all costs, so he spoke about his dreams.

"Truthfully I couldn't remember any my dreams until this morning," he said, while he leant on his knees, and gazed at the buildings of New York. "Most of the time I just woke up with the feeling, that I had a terrible dream, but never knew, what was that. Today was the first time, that I didn't forget. Actually I can remember my both dreams from the morning and from the afternoon." He could see again the woman's death, so he had to take several deep breaths for a few minutes. Fortunately Thor didn't push him. "There was the same woman in both. In the morning she was in pain, and I wanted to help her, but I couldn't. We almost died. As a matter of fact I didn't really know, how ended this dream. At the end I was so weak, that I couldn't see perfectly, then I woke up."

"And what was your afternoon dream?" Steve turned to his friend, who carefully returned his look. "You were in a very bad shape, like if you just experienced something horrible."

Steve looked back at the buildings, and didn't answered immediately. Just then, when he was calm enough.

"She died. In my arms." He sighed, then stood up to stand near the roof's side, and put his hands in his jeans' pockets. When he continued, his voice was quiet and emotional. "I'm sure, that this isn't normal, but my dream seemed so real. There was a man, who stabbed her with a knife, and I couldn't save her. Even if I wanted to. And I can't get over with her death." Steve turned around to look at Thor, who seemed very interested in his speech. "It was just a dream, and yet I can't forget her. If she would so important to me, that my brain can't let her to vanish. And I'm still mad at the man. Who probably just my own imagination." A snort left his mouth, then he shook his head. "I'm crazy. The super serum hacked my brain."

"You're perfectly normal."

"Come on, Thor, you can't be serious!" Steve stared at his friend flabbergasted. "It's not normal, if my feelings are controlled by an imaginary woman's death!"

"Firstly, I guarantee, that she's not the creation of your imagination. And secondly she's definitely not dead."

Steve looked at Thor if he would grow two heads. The asgardian's answer was ridiculous, and yet he seemed very confident, so Steve decided, that he gave a chance to explain his theory.

"Why do you think that?"

He walked back to the chair, and sat down turning towards the other blonde man. A smile appeared on Thor's face, then said something, what Steve never expect.

"She's your soulmate." Steve tried to keep a straight face, while inside him he stared round-eyed. His what? It was beyond his expectation. He hoped, that the god can give him more information, first of all, believable information. "I'm sure, that now you're thinking, that I'm crazy, but it's true," Thor continued, and his smile didn't lessened. "Firstly, you need to know, that in the universe everyone has a soulmate somewhere. It's in the nature, in the life, but the humans don't experience this, because they don't live that long. But you're an exception obviously. My guess is, that because you slept in the ice for almost seventy years, you're practically almost hundred years old, and this is the reason, why you were given the chance."

"It's logical, I think. But how is it that, you're sure this is my problem?"

Steve tried to be positive, and believe, what he heard, even the whole soulmate thing seemed to be like a fantasy tale. He desperately wanted to find some solution for his pain.

"Because it's the only possible answer." Thor was still confident, and clearly knew, what he's speaking. "Does your heart hurt?" Steve just nodded, so he said his next question. "Since when?"

"For almost a year. After my last birthday."

"And it worsened, right?" came the next question.

"Yes."

"Did it hurt in your dream? Can you remember it?"

Steve thought over his two dreams, which he didn't forget. He was sure, that in the morning in that fantasy land his strength consumed by his heart's ache, and his last dream ended very badly, after the woman died. But, as he recalled the imaginary events, he realized, that before the woman's death, he didn't feel any pain.

"Yes," he answered after a few minutes, and he added a nod too. "But it's weird, because in my last dream, I didn't feel it all the times." He stopped for a few seconds, while he went through that scene from the beginning to the horrible ending in his mind. He tried to understand, what was the reason of his pain's absence, but he couldn't find any answers for it. "Actually I don't quite understand, why my heart didn't hurt. I remember, that I was here at the tower. Everyone was dead, except you, so I watched over your death." Steve's face flinched as he mentioned his friend's death. He definitely didn't want it to happen again. He quickly banished this thought, then continued. "I noticed the man after this. I think, the pain came back, when he stabbed her." Because Thor seemed like he just solved some mystery, Steve raised one of his eyebrow. "What?"

"You know, the soulmate links are typify by their awakaning stage," explained the blonde god, and because Steve clearly was lost hearing this, he spoke again. "The pain is the centre of everything in the beginning. At first it's just a dull feeling, but it turns into much more as the time passes. If the mates don't meet in a certain time, they can experience so much pain, that they even can die. A possible heart attack usually takes place, when the mates don't find each other." Now Thor's face flinched, and Steve easly could understand the meaning of this – the asgardian was really afraid of his death. "But when they meet, and stay together, the pain vanishes, then completely ends, after they strengthen their link. This explains, why your heart didn't hurt in her company, and why did again, when she was wounded, even if it was just a dream. And this explains your daily pain too."

Steve stared at the buildings, and tried to process the heard information. Every sign and fact led to the conclusion of his situation. There's someone somewhere, and between them there's an invisible link, which binds them together. It was astonishing and crazy, and yet it was so logical. A logical explanation, why he didn't feel the urge to find a woman, and why he felt his feelings wrong towards Peggy. He started to accept this possibility, but with that, he conceived questions in his mind. The first and the main question was, if everything's truth, and his pain won't be decreasing, how long will he be able to hold on? And the second, that how he can find her to prevent their death? As he understood well, what Thor said to him, she can't be on Earth, and knowing that, he hadn't got any idea, where she could be. She could be anywhere. And this surprisingly frustrated him.

"How can I find her?" he asked then, and looked at his blonde friend with uncertained eyes.

"I think, that personally you won't be able to find her," answered Thor, and hearing this, Steve flabbergasted realized, that this made him disappointed. "She definitely isn't here on Earth. But I'll can ask Heimdall, he maybe can see her."

Steve nodded, then leant against the chair's back. Thoughts swirled in his head, while his heart throbbed by his well-known pain. He could only hope, that everything will sort out in time. And as he sat there, suddenly another question came to life in his mind, actually it was the most clear since the god told him his theory. He turned to his friend.

"How do you know this?" he asked, and Thor face immediately lit up by a wide smile. Steve saw him like this only, when the blonde man talked about his girlfriend, and this implied, what will be his answer.

"Jane is my soulmate."


	8. Chapter eight

Hi guys! I'm back! :)

I'm really sorry this long break, I know I'm bad. In justice my biggest weakness is that I love to read. A lot. In January we (me and my partner) moved, so I didn't have enough time to write, so I started to read some Avengers fanfiction. And I became a little bit obsess with the Stony stories. I can say, that I'm now an officially Stony shipper. :) And unfortunately I couldn't stop. I just read and read and read, and when I didn't read, I planned Stony stories. But I finally could continue this story, however I had to start a Steve-Tony fanfiction too. So maybe the chapters will come a little bit slowly, but they will come. I promise. And sometime in the future I'm going to upload my other story too, so stay tuned.

Have a good day Everyone! :)

Now to the eighth chapter:

* * *

ACROSS THE WORLDS

Main pairs: Steve Rogers/OC, Tony Stark/Pepper Potts, Natasha Romanoff/Clint Barton

Other characters: Bruce Banner, Thor, Nick Fury, Maria Hill, OC

Everything, which Marvel, isn't belong to me, but my OCs (characters and places) are my own imagination.

* * *

CHAPTER EIGHT

There was a comfortable silence in the apartment, and only the traffic's noises were heard from the outside. It was quiet and calm, which slightly soothed his aching heart. That was the reason, why Steve was here, and not in the Avengers Tower. The previous day hit him really hard, and he needed some time alone. Especially to think over, what Thor told to him, so after he woke up in the morning, ate some breakfast, then he left the tower. He met only with Pepper as he went to the parking garage. He was glad, that the others didn't show up. He had some answers, but he still didn't quite understand the whole situation, and because of it, he didn't want to explain himself, why he leaves the house. Fortunately Tony's partner didn't ask any question.

He mounted on his Harley-Davidson motorcycle, and rode to his abandoned flat in Brooklyn. It was not that apartment, where he lived with his parents, because he found it sold after he was defrosted. He spent his first days, weeks and months in a little place, which was one of the S.H.I.E.L.D.'s secret homes. After the events of the Chitauri invasion, the Avengers – as Tony named them – slowly became friends, and Tony was the one, who helped him to find a new home. It was a nice apartment near his old home, and because he bought it second-hand, the price was much affordable. At that time he really couldn't allow himself to burn his money. His financial situation progressed since then, thanks to his Captain America status, but he still didn't reach his black haired friend's wealth level. And after a few missions together, and after Tony modified his home, everyone eventually moved into the Avengers Tower, as he also left his apartment in favour of it.

Towards his flat, he bought a coffee in a Starbucks shop, then continued the ride. Unfortunately it wasn't as good as his favourite caffeine in his favourite coffee shop, but it was caffeine nevertheless. After he arrived at his apartment, he sat down on his couch, and while he sipped his black drink, stared out the window. His distress lessened somehow in the last few hours, but was still there. To avert his thoughts from the pain, he looked down at his right wrist, where was a metal bracelet. He got it from Tony yesterday evening. His friend spent a lot of time to find out, what can help him about his nightmares. The man explained, how can the bracelet keep him away from a heart attack, but he didn't memorize it. The most important thing about it was, that this morning he woke up because of an intense electric jolt before everything could turn into something bad. Because of it, he couldn't remember any dream this night. And yet he still could recall the woman's features.

The idea was an abrupt one. In a minute he drank his coffee, and in the next, he jumped up to grab his old sketch book and a pencil. As he sat back on the couch, and looked through the book, he realized, he didn't draw for a very long time. Actually he didn't draw at all after he was woken up. His last art was a deer, what he remembered seeing in the German forests during the World War II.

While he was drawing, he thought about the previous day. His two dreams and his conversation with Thor. In the evening, when he was alone in his rooms, everything seemed just a myth, what the asgardian make up. Even if Thor confirmed everything with his soulmate link to Jane Foster. At that moment Steve couldn't believe him, because the man was the one, who said, that the humans on Earth can't feel the their link. Then why can they be mates? He actually asked this, and his friend explained this with something, which happened to Jane, and this triggered their link. It couldn't be the truth, that there is someone somewhere, who might be his soulmate. But after several hours of thinking he finally accepted this. Because it was the only answer for everything. Why his heart hurt, why wasn't any logical explanation for it, and why he didn't want to get together with a woman. And because she was so real in his dreams. And beautiful.

His pencil quickly moved over the paper, and the lines progressively started to show the woman's fair skin, the waves of her soft hair, and her beautiful features. When he finally stopped, he put down his pencil, then for a short time just gazed at the drawing. Previously he thought, he will have difficulties drawing the woman of his dreams, but it turned out rather easily – her face burnt into his mind so intensely, that he could recall it perfectly. He couldn't tear away his eyes from the black and white sketch, and as he stared down at it, his heartbeat sped up, and a thought came to life in his mind. He wanted to find her, and ensure, that she will spent her entire life with him. His suddenly came strong urge scared Steve. He was usually cool-headed, and there were a very few occasions, when his emotions took over the control – like when he rushed into the German territory alone to rescue Bucky.

Steve put down his sketch book, and while he sighed, he leant on his knees. His entire life turned upside down, and truthfully he didn't quite know, how he's going to cope with everything. How can he bear with his pain, his dreams, and his exaggerated emotions, while he should be the leader of the Avengers? What will happen, if his feelings will turn into something new, what he won't be able to keep under control? And of course there will be always someone, who will want him dead. What if they will also want her dead because of him? He won't let them do this. He pressed together his teeth, and quickly stood up to do something, because he slowly came closer and closer to a totally breakdown.

He kept himself occupied for at least two hours with tiding up the flat, and when he stopped, it was just because his stomach demanded some food. But he didn't find anything in the fridge, and it didn't even surprised him. He hardly slept in there, he spent his days and nights in the Avengers Tower. He just wanted to order a pizza, when his phone rang out. As he looked at the screen, he noticed Natasha's face and name.

"Hello, Natasha, what can I do for you?" he answered the call, while he walked back to the couch. The sketch book was still on the coffee table. Steve's eyes caught the drawing of the beautiful woman, and he instantly realized, that his previous attempt to avert his thoughts was absolutely pointless. His emotions were again a complete mess. He took a deep breath, and tried to concentrate the woman's voice on the other side of the phone.

"Fury called. He's coming to the tower right now," Steve heard the spy, who quickly continued her speech. "Pepper told me, that you're not in there, so I'll pick you up. Are you at your place?"

"Yes," he answered, but he didn't want to leave his motorcycle in Brooklyne, so he immediately gave voice to this. "But you don't have to ride me to the tower. I have my bike here. I'll go home alone."

There was a low snort on the other side, then came a short laugh.

"You have a strange obsession for your motor, Steve." It was a sarcastic statement, but the blonde man couldn't deny it, and Natasha knew it too. "All right. Go home with your love, but don't be late, because I promised Tony, that I'll deliver you in time."

When Steve heard the love word, not his motorbike came into his mind, instead of a picture of a brown haired woman, and her gentle features. He started to question his sanity. If this soulmate thing won't be the reason of his failing state, he will be in a big trouble. How he will explain in public his mental illness? He shook his head, just to expel his alarming thoughts. He knew, that Natasha is still waiting for his answer.

"I'll be there," Steve promised. "Just give me forty minutes."

"Fury comes from Washington, so you still have time, just don't be late."

Before Steve end the call, he promised again, that he will be at the tower in time. After that the phone landed on the coffee table, and Steve on the couch. Fury's arrival meant only one thing, that he wants another mission for them. Even if they finished the previous one just two days ago. He really couldn't decide, that he's happy or not about it. Everything became difficult with his new condition. As he sat, he couldn't hold back himself, and he continued to watch the drawing. After several minutes he stood up with the sketch book in his hand. A weird feeling came to life in Steve, that it would be very bad, if he left the drawing in his apartment. In the next few minutes he collected his belongings, then left the flat closing the front door behind himself.

Because today was a typical weekday – most women and men were at work –, he fortunately could depart without any interruption. Of course he assured this with his clothes, especially with his hooded sweater. After roughly fifty five minutes – on the way he stopped for a few hamburgers to ease his hunger – he arrived at the Avengers Tower. Steve parked down his motorbike, then he took up to his apartment his sketch book, and the other things, what he brought with himself from his flat. He certainly didn't want to his friend see his new drawing, including Fury, who wasn't his best buddy after all. When his belongings were in safe, he went back to the living room level, and headed towards the meeting room. As he walked on the corridor, he already heard his friends' voice through the closed door. He couldn't guess, what can be the topic, but hearing the laughter of Clint and Thor – they were the loudest –, he suspected something funny. Steve's mouth quivered a little, even if it didn't turn into a smile. Before he could enter into the room, suddenly the ache in his heart became almost unbearable, so he had to stop. Sometimes he could set aside his pain, but most of the time it really made more difficult even the simplest task. Like now. He needed at least a few minutes to collect himself. But when he opened the door, his face was perfectly unreadable, at least he hoped it.

"Cap." It was Tony, who stood not so far from the door, and Steve immediately noticed the worried glint in his eyes. Possibly it was unseen to the others, but he saw it. "I thought, that you come with Natasha."

"You know him, Tony. He and his dear Harley…" interrupted the mentioned spy, while he walked to the blonde soldier. "Do you have a good time together?"

Steve responded just a mute look, then walked closer to the centre of the meeting room. There was a big table with lots of chairs, and screens before every seat. The others were already there. Clint stood near the windows in the company of Thor. On their face was clearly readable the fun, as their eyes shone by the laugh. Before his last birthday Steve probably would have asked about their cheerfulness, but this day he just nodded to them, then turned towards the table, where Bruce and Pepper sat.

"When will Fury come?" he asked. He still didn't feel himself well, but decided, if he can avert his thoughts with the probable new mission's details, he perhaps can cope with the pain.

"Mr. Fury and Ms. Hill's helicopter just arrived at the landing platform," in the next moment they heard Jarvis from the air.

"Thank you, Jarvis," responded Tony with a nod, while the others remained mute, then took out his phone from his pocket to watch the two agent's approach through the secret cameras.

"Ladies, gentlemen."

The greeting of the dark-skinned man was weird, as always, when he stepped into the room with his second-in-command. A quiet snort was heard, and Steve could swear on, that it came from Natasha. She probably found exaggerated this form of address. She was a spy, and she behaved like this. Of course, on very few occasions, and if some missions required, she showed her female side, but usually she preferred, if everyone treated her like the other Avengers.

"Thank you, that you have time for us."

"Of course," answered Tony with a cool voice, while he walked towards the two agents. Steve and the others, who still stood near the table, went to sit. "The S.H.I.E.L.D. asks for help, otherwise you wouldn't be here. And of course we'll help, because we supposed to be the mightiest heroes on Earth. It's our job to protect the innocence people." Tony gave them a curious look, as the remains Avengers, then asked. "So, what's the problem?"

"Mutants."

"Mutants?"

It was Clint, who didn't seem very pleased hearing this information, and as Steve looked over his friends, he noticed, that nobody enthused – except Thor, but he was from another realm. From that matter, Steve didn't know, what to think. Apparently the other Avengers were aware of something, not like him.

"I don't understand. Why do you ask help from us?" continued the archer, and sent an inquiring look towards Fury.

"I am curious as well," interposed Tony on the other side of the table, and as he leant forward to look at the agents, on his face there wasn't any previous readiness. "Sort out this problem with the X-Men, if you have to deal with mutants. I'm sure, that they would be thrilled with joy."

"What's this X-Men?" asked Steve, before his black haired friend could continue. He was a little bit confused, and he blamed his unintended hibernation for it – he lost a lot of information during those long years. "And what kind of mutant do you talk about?"

He tried to concentrate on the task, even if it was quite strange, and not take notice of his pain, so this unbelievable news gave him enough chance to avert his anxious thoughts. He expect the answer from Fury, but instead of him, Maria Hill replied.

"There is a school in Westchester County, not too far from New York. Its official name is Xavier's school for gifted youngters. Charles Xavier is the founder and the director of this institution. He's a mutant, a telepath, and he seeks out for the young mutants in the world, and brings them into this school."

"And he likes to poke other people's brain," put in Tony dryly, then turned to Steve to give him an explanation. "The X-Men is a group with a lots of mutants, and their leader this nice guy."

"I'm sure, he didn't want to offend you," said Fury sending a soothing look towards the billionaire, but the black haired man didn't look convinced.

"He tried to look into my head!" answered Tony a little bit louder, before he let out a long sigh.

"I don't like, when someone tries to mess up with my thoughts."

Steve looked at Clint, when he heard his low mumble. Loki's trying to conquer the Earth was years ago, but he still remembered that, as the archer, who experienced personally the power of Thor's brother. It was totally understandable, that he wasn't all over this mutant. Tony's case was another thing. Steve didn't know, what could have happened between his friend and the mutant, but his offense was sure.

"You know him?" he asked, and hearing the question Tony snorted.

"It's overstatement, that we know each other. We met once, and he thought, that my mind needs some help," answered the man, then made a grimace, and showed his devilish grin. "His lucky was, that I was without my Iron man armour, because I would shot down his head." He stopped for a second, while he turned towards the two agents. "I would be very happy, if they would get the chance to deal with the mutants. I would like to watch them during their fights."

"Tony, please, we wouldn't come to you, if we can ask help from them." Steve haven't even heard Fury speak like this. His voice was clearly desperate. They were really in need, if he's willing to show this to them. "And as you said before, you're the mightiest heroes of Earth."

Tony sighed for the second time, then gestured to the dark-skinned man.

"What do you know about these mutants? What we have to know?"


	9. Chapter nine

I'm not lost! I'm here again! :)

I'll try to bring the next chapter a little bit sooner.

Now to the ninth chapter:

* * *

ACROSS THE WORLDS

Main pairs: Steve Rogers/OC, Tony Stark/Pepper Potts, Natasha Romanoff/Clint Barton

Other characters: Bruce Banner, Thor, Nick Fury, Maria Hill, OC

Everything, which Marvel, isn't belong to me, but my OCs (characters and places) are my own imagination.

* * *

CHAPTER NINE

"We don't know much," answered Hill instead of his commander, then placed a case onto the table, and took out several folders, what she handed out to the Avengers. "Every agents, who got closer to the truth, unfortunately didn't got the chance to tell us."

While Steve curiously opened the folder in his hands, listened the information, which was continued by Fury in the next minute.

"We've been trying to track down Jack Collums for months now. We assumed, that he's making a mutant army. And certainly not for the good." When everyone remained silent, the man continued with a grim expression on his face. "Our whole information came with great loss, we paid dear for it. But we could collect enough to know the necessary. And before you remark something nasty, Tony, I want to say, that when we found out the mutants, I immediately contacted with Xavier, but he's very occupied, so we couldn't meet. Yet he guaranteed through a call, that he have nothing to do with Collums."

"And what we have to do with this man?" Steve heard Bruce's voice for the first time. The usually quiet man sat in front of him, and currently looked through the files of the folder. "Is there any important information, which we can't leave out of consideration?"

"We want to capture, then interrogate him, and eliminate his organization. We found him in Mexico, but he's continuously changing his location, hence we can't know, at that moment where he is exactly," replied again Hill, then pushed the case towards the middle of the table. "We leave to you all of the data, we could collect, and a transceiver to contact with us."

"That's all?" Tony stood up from the table, firmly signing with his body language, that he finished. It seemed, that he was still mad a little bit about this mutant thing. When Fury nodded, he turned to Steve. "Cap?"

The soldier didn't answer right away, just stared at the documents in his hands. His mind was on two thoughts at a time. The first, that after a brief stressful break, they definitely will be in the middle of the next fight, and he couldn't decide, that his condition will be a disadvantage or not. And secondly, that everyone looked at him, like he would be the boss, and waited for the orders. In the past, when they started to treat him as the leader of the group, it was bewildering, but slowly it became natural. Now his leader status didn't feel right. Still he stood up too to give his friend a serious look, after he closed his folder.

"If we can depart sooner, that would be better," he started, then glanced at the big clock on the wall in front of him. It was past noon, and he didn't know, could the others eat something before the meeting. "I think it would be the wisest to discuss the facts along the way. If you're hungry, eat something, then get ready for the trip. Let's meet in the living room in two hours."

Everyone nodded silently to this, then the Avengers went separately towards their own apartment. Steve also went towards the corridor to go up to his rooms, but the voice of Fury reached him.

"Steve, can we speak with you?"

The blonde man stopped, and turned around to look at the dark-skinned agent. Next to him Maria Hill waited, but neither their face was readable. Yet he could guess, that they want to share with him something important, but don't want the others know it.

"Is there something, you want to tell me?" he asked, while he walked towards them. They were already alone, because everyone left the room. "What you want to keep secret before the others?"

Maybe this assumption was overdrawn from Steve, but he really thought, that they want to hide something from his friends. In the next moment turned out, that it was just a wrong guess.

"This have nothing to do with your mission with the mutants," said the dark-skinned man, and when Steve nodded in answer to him, he continued. "A tough time is behind us, and during the following uncertain days, the agents of the S.H.I.E.L.D. would gladly greet such a charismatic and honourable soldier like you as their leader."

"You want me to work for S.H.I.E.L.D.?" asked Steve, while tried to hide his surprise. He really didn't expect this, and because of this, he didn't prepare himself something like this. "I don't know, what to say at the moment." He truly didn't know. And of course his currently condition wasn't suitable for such a job. But he wasn't willing to share this fact with the two agents. "My first priority at that moment the Avengers, and I previously didn't think anything else beside them."

"We perfectly understood this," replied Fury. His words were calm, but his face showed how he hoped for a positive answer. "Just please think about it."

"I can't promise anything."

"It's all right." The man was professional, he didn't let his emotions appear on his dark-skinned face. "Have a good flight, and call us, if something happens."

"Nick. Ma'am."

Steve nodded towards the two agents, then left the meeting room. When he stepped into the elevator, he leant against the cold metal wall, and closed his eyes. Its chilly surface soothed his mind and soul. It was so hard to take no notice of his pain, but after he left Fury and Hill, he couldn't deny it any longer.

"Are you all right, Captain?"

He smiled automatically, when he heard Jarvis' voice. The AI system's voice was always emotionless, but sometimes, like now, it seemed almost, as he would be worried. And Steve didn't want the system worrying more, even if Jarvis possibly knew very well, what's going on in his heart.

"Yes, Jarvis," he answered, and then added to it. "Thank you for your concern."

"It's nothing, sir. This is my job."

Steve's smile grew bigger. He felt himself so much better after this very short conversation. He always enjoyed the talking between the AI and himself, because Jarvis was even politer, than him. It was funny and refreshing. When after a few minutes he stepped into his apartment, he was ready for the new mission. There will be surely some difficulties, because of his strange condition, but he will cope with them.

Steve quickly packed his things, because he wanted to eat something before they will depart – he knew, that the hamburgers won't be enough in the following hours. However he didn't go down to the main kitchen, which was connected with the living room. It was lucky, that his rooms had a smaller one. If he would like to spend time alone, he didn't have to use it. He just started to eat the sandwiches, what he put together, when a knock came from the front door. He swallowed the bite, then went to the entrance to look, who's outside. It was Thor. In his full armour.

"Thor."

"Steve." The blonde god nodded to him, then he motioned into the rooms with his head. "Can I come in?"

"Of course," replied Steve, and stepped aside to let the other man inside. Thor walked into the living room, and sat down onto the couch meanwhile putting down his hammer onto the coffee table. Something troubled him, it was all over his face. After Steve closed the door, he voiced it. "Is there any problem?"

"I thought about your soulmate link, and I would like to ask something." The other blonde couldn't guess, what could be this request, so when he settled down onto one of the chairs, he gestured him with his hand to continue. "My assumption is, that your dreams aren't accidental. I thought about it a lot, and at the end I came to the conclusion, that your link generates your dreams. I'm pretty much sure, that she's also dreaming. About you." An unfamiliar feeling came to life in Steve, when his friend mentioned, that maybe she dreams about him too. Something inside him started to burn, and he became curious about her dreams. What happens in them? "I only guess, but I think her aren't much nicer, than yours." The burning sensation got bigger painfully. Steve just imagined, that the woman lives the same dreams and pain as him, and he suddenly wanted to remain awake forever, and never go to sleep. In the next second Thor's sigh bring him back from his mind. "Perhaps it can be possible, because you're separate for a long time now. Usually the mates find each other in a few months, however in your case this takes too much time. So the link connected you through your dreams. And it can be dangerous. If I didn't wake you up yesterday, it could cost you your life, which would cause her death also." The asgardian leant forward, while his face became serious. "I know, this won't be easy, but you have to promise me, that you won't sleep a lot in the next days."

Steve quickly breathed a prayer to Tony's genius, and to his new bracelet. For a few seconds he closed his eyes, and he immediately could see the scene, when the woman died in his arms. The thought, that she can die because of him, created a huge emotional hurricane inside of him. If he hadn't got the bracelet device, he would go without any sleep until he can find her. He held up his right arm somewhat reassured, and showed Thor the bracelet.

"Tony found an impermanent solution for me, which doesn't let me to sleep, if I get closer to a heart attack," he explained, and he saw the relief on Thor's face right away.

"I'm glad," smiled the god, before he stood up, but didn't grab his hammer. Steve was on the point of asking him, what's the matter, but in the next moment Thor answered his unsaid question on his own accord. "There's another thing. I need to go home, before everything become nasty, because after that I won't be able to leave. And I thought, that if I have to go home, I'll can ask Heimdall about your soulmate. Is there any drawing about her? It would definitely be a help."

"I have one."

Steve's response was automatic, however as he went to take his sketch book, his confidence slowly vanished. He couldn't explain, why he felt suddenly himself hesitating. He understood, that he must give it to Thor, because this picture can help locate the woman. Yet, when he returned to his friend, his hand hovered over the book for a few minutes. He absolutely didn't want to pass his entire book, but he didn't want to tear out the drawing of the beautiful woman also. He had to really force himself to finally do it.

"I will take care of it." Thor's voice was genuine, and when Steve looked at his face, his smile was too. Perhaps his hesitancy was clearly visible. Which he still felt, however he slowly tore out the page, and presented to his friend. The god took the drawing into his hand, and peeked at it for a second, then carefully folded it in half. "I will show it to Heimdall immediately," he said, while he put away the folded paper into a hidden pocket, then reached out his hand for his hammer, which quickly jumped into it. "I'll go now."

"Thank you, Thor."

"It's all right. We're friends, and friends do anything to each other." Steve smiled, then offered his hand, which Thor shook in turn. With that they walked to the entrance, but after the blonde soldier opened the door, the god didn't leave the room. His face became serious, and his voice too, when he spoke. "I promise, I will return in time."

Steve nodded in answer to this. The asgardian position was important in the group. It will be possibly an unfortunate turn, if he won't be able to join them. The other blonde man's answer was a same nod, then he stepped out onto the corridor. After he closed the door, Steve returned to the kitchen to continue his lunch. He became surprisingly excited. Sometimes he still couldn't believe this soulmate thing, but for the most part of his last two days he hardly could wait to see her. Handing the drawing to Thor just brought that event closer. As he chewed the bites, he tried to imagine the moment, when he'll meet the woman. He recalled that period of his life, when he thought, he's in love with Peggy. His heart immediately started to beat wildly, when he saw her, and he felt himself embarrassed in her company. He was sure, that it won't be otherwise this time.

After eating, he quickly did the dishes, then grabbed his bag, which contained his captain suit, and put his shield onto his back. It was time to go, because he wanted to be the first. He always hated to be late. He left his apartment, and went to the lift, while he deliberately ignored his pain. The elevator took him down, and when he arrived to the living room, put down his things, and went to make himself a cup of coffee. He still had a little time until his friends will come, so he sat down with the black drink in his hands. There were many thoughts in his mind, so he stared at the carpet before him, and let himself sank into his mind.


	10. Chapter ten

ACROSS THE WORLDS

Main pairs: Steve Rogers/OC, Tony Stark/Pepper Potts, Natasha Romanoff/Clint Barton

Other characters: Bruce Banner, Thor, Nick Fury, Maria Hill, OC

Everything, which Marvel, isn't belong to me, but my OCs (characters and places) are my own imagination.

* * *

CHAPTER TEN

The sun caressed her skin, while she was standing on the balcony. Lyanna smiled, and turned her face upwards closing her eyes. It was a sunny day, and because their house was built almost on the top of the tree, the branches didn't block the sunbeams. It was nice, and slightly soothed her discomfort – in the morning she was startled out of her nightmare. She saw her mate's death again in her dreams, and after a few hours she could still remember it. Her pain and suffering was almost unbearable, and only the thought, that she will depart soon, could help her cope with them.

"Are you all right, My Lady?"

Lyanna turned towards the balcony door, where Eislyn stood. The woman clearly worried for her, it was easily readable on her face. In the morning the elhen needed at least an hour to calm her lady. The nightmares became more and more brutal every single day, and both of them knew, that Lyanna's time is unmercifully approaching closer to a painful end.

"I'm fine," Lyanna answered quietly, while slowly walked back into her parlour to sit down on the couch. She was fine under the circumstances. When her personal guard sat next to her, she reached out with his hand, and squeezed hers. "I don't deny, that I would feel myself much better, if I would be already on Terra."

Eislyn didn't respond, just sent a small smile towards Lady Lyanna. They waited for Lord Raven for almost two hours. The man currently was preparing their journey, and they expected him in any minute. So they sat in silence, both of them deeply in their thoughts. Eislyn looked at her friend every now and then searching any sign of her pain, however if there was any, the lady didn't show it. Evidently – seeing her dreamy smile on her lips – her thoughts were far away from Elhenion, on Terra with her mate.

Their calming silence broke, when shouting sifted through the door. Eislyn immediately jumped up from the couch ready to protect her protégé, while the other woman stiffened. Firstly they couldn't guess, what's can happening outside, but then they could recognize the prince's voice. Lyanna's eyes widened with fear. So much for the hope, that she never sees him again. She was afraid of course, but she was fed up with this too. She didn't understand, why the man can't accept, that she has a mate. And there was always the question, that how he can avoid his? Shab was too old, he must had a soulmate somewhere. And if there is indeed someone somewhere, the prince should be in a terrible pain without her. However the man seemed perfectly healthy, furthermore he continuously looked for the chances with Lyanna, even if she didn't want to see him. Currently if Lyanna wouldn't be at home, she would surely freak out more hearing the elhen prince's approach. However she was at home, not so far from her brother. Lyanna gulped down her fear, then looked at Eislyn, while she grabbed the armrest of the couch.

"Go."

"What?"

The younger elhen didn't want to leave the lady alone. She knew perfectly well, that the prince will do everything to get, what he wants. Lyanna sent her a reassuring glance, before she nodded towards a hidden door behind them.

"Eislyn, go. I'll be fine." Shab's voice came closer, so she quickly continued. "Find my brother."

She didn't say more, the other woman could understand without it. And Eislyn absolutely didn't approve this plan. But at the end, before the elhen prince's forceful entrance, she reluctantly slipped out from the room through the secret door leaving alone her protégé. Lyanna stood up shaking slightly by the man's arrival. She knew, that she can't stop the prince, but maybe she can win some time until Raven can rescue her. So she went round the couch using the furniture like a barricade.

"Lady Lyanna doesn't receive guests! You can't..."

Lyanna recognized Sally's voice, who was one of her maids, but the girl couldn't finish her protestant sentence, because the prince burst into the room anyway. The blonde elhen wore his well-known obsessed look on his face, which always scared Lyanna. She was just glad, that she had the composure to move behind the couch. Yet she also took a step backwards, while she watched the approaching prince, then with a deep breath she swallowed her dread – Shab started to open his mouth, so she quickly spoke.

"I hope, Your Highness, that you know, you can't be in my rooms without my permission." It was hard to speak with steady voice, but Lyanna managed it somehow. Not that the man was overly ashamed of his behaviour. "And I remember very clearly, that I didn't give you my approval."

"You will understand my visit, My Lady, if I tell you my exciting news. My Lyanna, you will immediately forgive me."

"I'm not yours! I…" Lyanna started to protest quickly, but the elhen man doesn't hear her. He came directly in front of her, grabbed her hands, then interrupted her.

"The water festival is going to start sooner. But the servants are already preparing my lake house, so when we'll arrive, the rooms will be ready for us."

"What?" The woman stared at the prince with pure shock, and she also needed a few moments to collect herself to answer and to jerk back her hands. "I don't go anywhere with you!"

In the past Lyanna travelled yearly to the Silver Lake, because she really enjoyed watching the dancing pairs over the big fire and gazing up at the stars on the night sky. But since his heart started to yearn for her mate, her visits became more and more rare, and eventually stopped fifty years ago. She definitely won't go again, and absolutely not in the prince's company. Who seemed very adamant, because he grabbed her hand for the second time.

"You can't really say that, Lady Lyanna," he said with reproachful voice, and then he tried to pull the woman closer to him. "These festivals are the most famous on our planet, you can't possibly want to miss it. You'll see, that we will have a great time there."

"I'm not going to go with you!" protested Lyanna, while she tried to free her hands. It was a hopeless attempt, since the elhen prince was much stronger than her. "Let me go!"

Of course the man didn't release her, only pulled her closer. Lyanna immediately continued to resist, however Shab didn't listen. But he suddenly stiffened, and when she looked up, she noticed the point of a sword at his neck, then she heard her brother tense voice.

"Let her go." Lyanna found herself alone in the next moment, because the prince's hands quickly left her. "Move!"

"You know, your behaviour is very disrespectful towards me."

While Shab raised his hands in the air, he stepped back a little. It was evident, that he's sure, he can get off this affair easily, and didn't seem, that he regretted anything. He just didn't count with the anger of Lady Lyanna's brother. Because Lord Raven was furious, it was seen on his face. Lyanna was happy, that his brother arrived in time. As she watched him, she could see Eislyn in the background, who evidently let the lord of the house handle the situation.

"I'm sorry, Your Highness, if I have to disappoint you, but at this moment I have every rights to step up against you."

"Really?" The prince didn't move. He continued to stand on one spot smugly, and he didn't show any willingness to submission. "Did you forget, that I'm your prince?"

Lord Raven's answer wasn't late. And his words bore a similar firmness.

"And I think, you forgot, that you're at my house, Your Highness. You're harassing my sister, while you're not her soulmate. I can kill you without any punishment in the name of my sister's honour." The dark haired elhen nudged the blonde with his sword. "Now move."

It was clear, that Prince Shab didn't want to leave the room, however Lyanna's brother didn't give in. Eventually they walked out into the corridor, while Eislyn ran to her lady.

"Are you all right, My Lady?" she asked hurriedly, and immediately started to search for any injuries caused by the prince.

Lyanna could only nod, because she was still a little bit shaken by the blonde elhen's outrageous visit. Even if she had been able to answer, she wouldn't have said anything, because the other elhen didn't let her. Eislyn started to sputter – quickly and hotly.

"I swear, I'm going to drag your mate from the Terra to here, and I'm going to order him to teach some respect to the prince!" Lyanna smiled slightly, as she let herself check. The agitation slowly faded, and she even could enjoy the other woman's rant. "I have some ideas. For example dropping him down from the highest point of the palace. Or he could use his weird shield. But I think I'll still would be happy, if he would simply strangle Shab."

"I don't want him to kill the prince," Lyanna said softly, then she grabbed her friend's hands to still her. "And I definitely don't want to return in the future," she continued. "I'm going to stay on the Terra with my mate."

It seemed, that the quiet statement calmed the younger elhen, who took a deep breath, then a wide smile appeared on her face.

"Are you ready, My Lady?" she asked with a nod with her head towards the exit. "Lord Raven said earlier, before he would have arrived here to stop Prince Shab, that the Nuria's preparations are done. She can take off whenever you want to go."

Of course Lyanna immediately wanted to depart, because she didn't want to wait any more minutes to finally meet her only love. So she said goodbye to her family. After she promised, she will get in touch with them as soon as she can, her parents and her brother gave her a tight hug. Then Eislyn escorted her into the ship, where a few selected elhens waited for her. She knew a few of them. They greeted her with kind smile and a polite bow. The Nuria was a fast and gracious ship with several sleeping chambers and a relatively big cockpit for at least five person. After the take off, Lyanna retired to rest, because the last few hours made her very tired. And as it was expected, the nightmares joined her. In the next four days, while the ship covered the distance between Elhenionian and the Terra, she slept less and less, and this worried Eislyn excessively. Her lady became so much weaker, as she was days before. When they finally arrived at the planet, Lady Lyanna was currently resting in her room, so Eislyn joined the men in the cockpit.

"Can you find him?" she asked instantly, while her eyes scanned the Terra's colourful surface.

The king could give them a relative information about the man's location, but it wasn't a perfect assurance, that when they'll arrive, he will be on the exact spot. Krillen, the first pilot, reached for a button near to his seat, and a screen appeared before his face, then he started to tap on it.

"We have the main characteristics of him, so we can try to search for him with our long-range sensor," explained the elhen. His long and dark hair fell freely onto his back, and when he turned for a few seconds towards the woman, it came ahead, so he pushed it back. He motioned at the screen, where the possible locations twirled. "But if it doesn't work, we have to go closer to the planet."

"I don't want to land, unless we have the correct point," declared Eislyn, as she leant closer.

"There may be some quite a fight, because my sensors are practically screaming at me." Eislyn looked at the blonde elhen, who cut in, and she could see also the several flickering datas on his display. Their eyes met for a second, and she really didn't like the anxious shine in his.

"I found him! Damn..."

Krillen's voice changed abruptly and drastically, and when the elhen woman turned over to him, she noticed his pale expression. She looked at the screen worriedly, where this time was a live picture, and on it was the most ferocious fight she have ever seen. And in the middle of it there was Lady Lyanna's mate in his blue-red-white uniform, beating a person to pulp with his shield, while he's warded himself with his other hand and even with his legs from several other men.

"Absolute not!"

The protest immediately was out from Eislyn's mouth. She knew without any thoughts, that she wasn't going to take Lady Lyanna in the middle of a brutal fight. Her friends wasn't warrior, she was a lady. However Krillen thought otherwise.

"Eislyn, you don't have any other choice," he said persuasively, but the woman didn't see any good thing in it.

"I'm not going to take the lady into a fight, even if her mate is there," she protested on, while she shook her head. She was adamant, and Krillen's frown didn't help her neither.

"But that won't be any better, if we land so much far away."

"Lady Lyanna isn't a warrior!" cried Eislyn, then to get some support, she sent a desperate look at the blonde elhen. "Zolon, please, say something!"

The second pilot shrugged his shoulders, and spread his arms too, while his face showed, that maybe he sympathized with her, however he isn't going to go against the first pilot. And his answer in the next moment proved this.

"I'm sorry, Eislyn. He's the captain."

"Krillen!"

The woman's following shout didn't reach the wanted influence, because the Nuria's captain didn't give up his opinion.

"Eislyn, it's the only way," said Krillen, as he looked back at the screen before him. The scene changed since their argument, likely because the man was currently running through a street – the ship's sensors followed him. In the midst of it his round shield knocked down a few people one after another. Krillen had to admit, that his abilities with this kind of weapon was pretty impressive. "You know, whatever dangers are going to wait for us there, I think Lady Lyanna's mate is very much capable to protect her."

The elhen's explanation was believable, but Eislyn couldn't shook off the feeling of her dread.

"No! She will die!" Her voice rose a little, so she took a deep breath to calm herself, then she continued a little softer. "If something happened to Lyanna, I would never forgive to myself."

"Lady Lyanna can die, whether you want it or not," answered the captain with a sigh. In justice, he slightly could understand the fear of the younger elhen. However he knew very well, that they don't have any choice, and too much time also, so he has to explain their situation somehow. "Do you have a mate?" he asked, when he eventually found an example. Eislyn shook her head.

"Not yet."

Krillen nodded, then his mouth curved into a smile.

"I have, Silla," he explained after a second still smiling. "Our link came to life, when I was away on a mission with Lord Celebhest. It lasted at least four months, so when we returned to Elhenion, the next few days ached like hell until we could meet. Lady Lyanna waited so much more. If I had a severe pain in my heart, than she will have a multiple times stronger. She would certainly die, if we went down, but not directly to her mate. And he would also." Krillen sent a persuasive glance towards the woman. "We don't have any other choice, Eislyn. We have to go into a battle, and find this man, because otherwise they will die."

It seemed, that he eventually and successfully convinced her, because the elhen woman nodded after a few minutes of hard thinking.

"I want to speak with her," she told him. "She has to know."

"All right." Krillen removed the screen, then nodded to Eislyn. "Sign, if she's ready. It's going to hurt."

In the next minutes, while they waited for the woman's answer, they checked the sensors and weapons of the Nuria. Fortunately the ship was designed for everything, even for a battle too, but Krillen didn't want to leave nothing to chance. By the time he finished the control with the help of his crew, Eislyn called, that Lady Lyanna is ready. As he manoeuvred the ship towards the planet's surface, he looked at his second pilot. Zolon face was lit up by a maniac grin, and when he spoke, his voice was too excited.

"Are you ready for a little play, captain?"

"You're insane," muttered Krillen with a headshake.

After a few second they reached the Terra's atmosphere. And the screaming started.

* * *

A note for the chapter to explain Steve and Lyanna's pain and the threat of their death: I already said previously, that the soulmates are in pain until they find each other, and when this searching period become longer and longer, their pain just increases, and becomes unbearable, when they are on the same planet, but not together. Because Lyanna waited too much (really, she's exactly 564 years old, so she waited a few hundred years), she's in so much pain. When they step into the Earth's atmosphere, there's a chance, that she will die, if Lyanna and Steve don't meet relatively immediately. Because Lyanna's in almost an agony, thanks to the facts, that she waited too long, and she's already in pain. And because they are soulmates, if Lyanna dies, then Steve dies too.


	11. Chapter eleven

Almost there, but Lyanna and Steve still won't meet in this chapter. ;)

Before the chapter: I think my mutants are suck, but I really couldn't come up with better idea. And because I'm a music teacher, I naturally know nothing about the medical stuffs. When I write something medical thing, I like to search on the internet, but I'm not sure, this time this part of the chapter will be real. But hey, this is a fan-fiction, so, if it's completely stupid, please forgive me. Or tell me, how I suppose to rewrite these sentence, and I'll fix them.

Now to the eleventh chapter:

* * *

ACROSS THE WORLDS

Main pairs: Steve Rogers/OC, Tony Stark/Pepper Potts, Natasha Romanoff/Clint Barton

Other characters: Bruce Banner, Thor, Nick Fury, Maria Hill, OC

Everything, which Marvel, isn't belong to me, but my OCs (characters and places) are my own imagination.

* * *

CHAPTER ELEVEN

There was a shout through their earpiece, then came the captain's well-known voice.

"I'm fucking sick of them!"

The Iron Man's flight came to a halt for a second before he flew again. Any other times Tony would definitely remark the old man's slip – since the super soldier always warned them if they cursed –, but now, he just got worried hearing this. Because Steve never cursed, he was incredibly polite.

"J, check the captain's vital signs," he said to Jarvis, while he spotted a few mutants running through the streets below him. The answer came, after he knocked down the three men.

"The captain is in pain, sir, and his pain is continuously growing."

The only person, who also knew, that something is wrong with their friend, was currently raving somewhere like a big, green torpedo, and wasn't aware of anything. And maybe Thor, who was somewhere, damn knows where – when they left the tower a few days ago, Steve informed them, that Thor left to Asgard. But the others, especially Barton, immediately commented the blonde's outburst.

"Someone is really sullen."

The captain didn't answer, and this just deepened Tony's concern. While he searched for another target over the streets, he addressed his question to the soldier.

"Are you all right, Cap?" Tony tried to hide in his voice the fear for his friend, and it was damn difficult, but he somehow managed it. The other two members of the team didn't know about Steve's heart problem, at least Barton for certain. He wasn't sure in Natasha, because that woman was scary as hell with her knowing looks at times. So to avoid any suspicious questions, he quickly continued with his usual banter. "You know, I can go there, and pull your dear mutant friends' nose, if you want." Tony dropped down to the asphalt, then hit several mutants with a car using his hand repulsors. The Audi span over the men a few times before it stopped, becoming slightly damaged – Tony didn't feel any pang of conscience. "I'm bored anyway. My mutants give up too easily."

"Sometimes I marvel your ego," came a sardonic reply from Hawkeye, and Tony by-passed it, waiting for another, which he got a few seconds later.

"Thanks, Tony, but you don't have to."

Through the comm was clearly audible his team-mate's fight. There were several blasts, which were certainly Clint's work, shots by Natasha, loud blows, definitely with the captain's shield and he could hear Hulk's roar from at long distant. And there were shouts and screams with a lot of other noises, but they were used to it, and they could filter out the not important sounds. Iron Man walked forwards looking down the knocked out mutants. They were annoying, and this strained his patience. They have to find eventually some resort against them, but he couldn't come up with any with Jarvis' scans.

"You're sure, Cap?" he asked, while he continued his path towards the nearest crossroad.

"I'm fine, Shellhead."

Steve's sigh was hardly audible between the noises, after he answered gritting his teeth, but Tony still could hear it. And he didn't like it. His friend wasn't fine, not at all. He kept down his own sigh, and wished for their fight's end, when he can look at the soldier again. He just wanted to lock himself in his workshop in the tower, or in the labs, until he can find the cure. He certainly won't let anything to happen to his friend. Steve can't die. His thoughts turned darker, so he started to speak, just to avert his mind.

"All right, if you're absolutely sure. I can really…" Tony couldn't finish his sentence, because suddenly a damn mutant jumped at him, and an electric shock ran through the armour hitting his body also. He shouted loudly. "Shit!"

The man was shorter than him, so he easily threw down him after a brief encounter, simply shooting at his head, then leant on his knees. His whole body throbbed so painfully, that he could barely breathe.

"Language!"

The archer's retort didn't help him, especially because usually this came from another man, who didn't acknowledge his curse this time. It was actually very alarming.

"You're lucky Barton," Tony forced out his response through his teeth, while he still panted and shook from the hot pain, which just slowly faded away. "We're in the same team, otherwise you will be in a big trouble. And it's fucking painful!" He kind of shouted the last sentence, and didn't wait any reaction from his blonde team-mate, he immediately turned his attention towards his AI. "Jarvis, scan."

"The electric shock hit mostly your nervous system, sir, this explains your tremble. In the next half an hour you might have some issues with your movement. You should need some tests at the tower within a few hours."

"Make some calculating, J." Since there weren't any threat near at him, Iron Man remained, where he was previously, and tried shoot his every anger at the dead man before him. "These mutants are a real pain in the ass. We have to find something."

"Starting, sir."

While he waited, Black Widow started to speak in his ear. Some gun shots came through the comm as well.

"Can you detect with your sensors some information about them?"

Jarvis didn't finish yet, so Tony gave the most valuable answer.

"Kill 'em, and you won't have a problem."

"Your sensors are dead or what? It was your most ridiculous advice of the week," came back Clint's voice, and Tony sighed.

"Actually, if you insist to know, Birdboy, I blew off his face. And my sensors states, that he's pretty much dead. That's all. And it isn't a pretty sight."

After a few minutes finally Tony could move normally, if a little bit slowly at first. He tore away his eyes from the ground, and carefully he straightened. The body of the mutant was bloody without a head, which burst, when it was hit by the powerful shot. Its remains were now on the asphalt in lots of pieces. Tony looked around. The street was silent, and the Avengers' fight came low from somewhere. He knew, that he have to find them. But he still couldn't move perfectly.

"J, take me to Cap." He decided, that at that moment he wants to give helping hand to his soldier friend.

"Right away, sir."

In the next moment Iron Man lifted off from the ground up in the air.

* * *

The pain became worse and worse, but at least he was on his feet. In the past few days from Mexico through Houston they somehow got to Richmond. These days were hard, and Steve actually didn't know, how he managed to cope with everything. In the last hour he constantly gritted his teeth, because otherwise he would scream at the top of his lung. He couldn't even concentrate normally to his team-mates, and he didn't have any more energy to keep up the conversation between them. He just listened their banter.

A mutant appeared before him at the end of the street. He currently made his way towards there, so he threw away his shield. When it hit the man in the face, and he fell down, five more jumped in. Steve called back his shield, what he caught in the air with a groan.

"Please, burn in hell," he murmured after a long sigh.

"I hope, you don't want to leave me out from the party?"

Steve didn't turn his eyes away from the mutants, but he still could cast a sidelong glance toward the red and gold armour, which dropped down the ground one second before. During their fight he kind of expected this. Tony was his friend, and the man definitely worried for him – he recognized this after their short conversation through the comm, even if his friend covered it skill-fully.

"Are you all right, Shellhead?" He asked after a brief moment, while they glared at the men. The mutants didn't attack, possibly just waited for the best opportunity.

"I should ask this question, Cap, don't you think?"

Steve didn't react, instead of started to jog forwards. He knew, that Tony cared for him, but in the middle of their fight, they didn't have time to dwell on his condition. He couldn't allow this. Maybe his friend could guess his thoughts, because Tony didn't force the subject. He silently followed him, and engaged in their little encounter without any question. Actually it gave Steve a nice and warm feeling, that he could count on his friend any time, especially, when he was so much pain. The pain was the reason, why his attention skipped, and the two seconds was enough for the mutant before him to jump on him. He hit the man on the head, but it was already late. Electric shock ran through him, and his pain rose to an unbearable level, so he simply couldn't hold back his cry. This happened for the umpteenth time in the past hour – after the fifth time he lost track in counting –, and the shocks slowly took effect. He couldn't feel his body, he just assumed, that he fell down to the ground.

"Steve!" he heard Tony's shout, then something blew up. He didn't have strength for look after it. His whole body trembled, and even the breathing was difficult. "Cap?" He was carefully moved, then he found himself in a sitting position next to a building, his back against the wall. There was silence around them, just his gasping was audible, then he realized, that Tony is speaking to him. "Hey, Steve. Are you all right? Please say something. J, make some scan!"

Steve knew, that he should calm his frantic friend. Iron Man's helmet was up, so he could see Tony's anxious expression. But everything hurt. He needed at least several minutes to collect himself for a simply sentence.

"I'm fine, Tony."

It was a lie of course, and the next second Tony proved, that he didn't believe it.

"No Steve, you're fucking not fine!" There were hands on him, which evidently searched for any injuries on his body. Steve didn't feel enough energy to protest. Then Tony continued to speak. After a brief second, he realized, this time not to him. "Nick, it's Stark. I don't know, where you are, but I need a jet. Cap is getting off the party."

"What?!" At first Steve could just glare at his friend flabbergasted, but after a few seconds, he found his voice again. "Tony you can't do this! I need to be here!"

"No." Tony shook his head, clearly didn't like Steve's response. "You'll be a good soldier, and you're going to go home."

Steve couldn't believe, that his friend would be up to send him New York. Certainly he had some health problems, but he was Captain America, even the others looked at him as their leader. He couldn't leave. But Tony's eyes were determined, and didn't seem, that he would give in, however Steve tried again anyway.

"Tony, I'm fine."

"No. Stop this, Steve. You're not fine," stated the other man firmly. "And I can't let you get yourself killed." There was a long sigh, then Iron Man stood up, and before he could even blink once, the man hoisted up him too. "Come on, Winghead, let's find some quiet place, where you can wait for your taxi."

Steve felt himself moved, after Tony put his shield onto his back, but they hardly took a few steps, when suddenly a lightning blinded them. Because it wasn't raining, it meant only one thing.

"Tony, Steve!" they heard their god friend's howling voice, before they caught sight of the man. Thor walked towards them with long steps – his cape floated behind him, as he got closer –, and only stopped, when he was only one meter away. His face was lit up with enthusiasm – probably thanks to the battle around them –, however it never reached his eyes. Then he looked at the captain, and the excitement immediately vanished from his face. "Are you all right, Steve?"

"No, Lightning-boy, he's not all right," answered Tony instead of Steve with a serious and determined voice, while the Iron Man helmet opened – Steve actually didn't remember, when it closed. His worried glance turned to the blonde soldier for a moment, before he looked back at the asgardian. "This is, why he's going home. Now."

This time Steve didn't even try to disagree with his friend, because it was certain, that Tony won't give in. If he decided, that Steve has to go home, he can't do anything. And maybe a little part of him, which still throbbed from the pain, really wanted to submit. However Thor thought otherwise.

"Tony, he can't go home, he has to stay here."

For a second, Iron Man was speechless, while he gawked at the other blonde.

"Are you crazy, Thor?" he asked later, and actually thought, that the god left his brain in Asgard. Why he would say something so stupid, like that Steve has to stay in the middle of a fight? Bullshit! "Don't you see, how Steve looks like? He hardly can stand on his own feet!"

Thor sighed, then shook his head.

"You don't understand, Tony."

"You're right, I don't understand!" retorted Tony instantly, and the silence around them quickly became heavy. This let them to hear the Hulk's roar somewhere, as the various sounds of the fight. It seemed as they were in a bubble, where the battle avoided them.

The quiet stillness lasted at least for a few minutes, while Thor and Iron Man glared at each other. Neither of them wanted to back down from this strange mute contest. Steve didn't know, what to do with the situation, and what to say to prevent a possible duel between the two Avanger. He just wanted the day's end, because he was in pain, and couldn't think properly.

"Steve's soulmate is coming. He can't leave."

The god's words just slowly reached Steve's brain, and when they finally gain meaning, his breathing accelerated, and his heart suddenly started to beat in his throat instead of his chest. He's going to meet with his mate! It was exciting and frightening all at once. He wanted to ask Thor a million question. Like when she will arrive? Where? How he can be so sure? Did he speak with his friend in Asgard about her? And so on, but no sounds came from his mouth. He couldn't speak, the strong emotions, which swirled in him, took away his power to form even a single word. Weirdly Tony was speechless too, which was rare. Steve turned towards his genius friend to hold back his laughter in the next second. Tony's face was priceless – he gawked at the god with slightly opened lips, while his eyes were so wide, that they almost fell out from their socket. Because neither of them reacted to Thor's revelation, the blonde asgardian repeated his previous sentence.

"Steve has a mate, who is currently coming here."

"Come again?"

Tony's voice was hoarse, and clearly he still struggled to process the information, and Thor was willing to help him. He said it for the third time.

"Steve has a soulmate."

"Riiiiiiight." Steve dared to swear on his own life, that Tony still couldn't believe, what Thor said. And actually it was absolutely expected, because he couldn't believe it either, when he heard it for the first time. "And this mate thing solves this situation?" Steve was currently watching Iron Man's face, so he could see, as he raised his brow questioningly. The god's answer was short and positive.

"Yes, Tony."

A sound left Tony's mouth between snort and laugh, then he shook his face.

"It's insane." Steve felt Iron Man's gaze shifts towards him, so he looked up to meet with it. The brown eyes silently searched for something, before the next snort could come. "Steve, you don't seem to be surprised." It was a statement, not a question, and Steve didn't try to hide his excitement about the event before them. The thought, that he's going to see the woman in live, made his pain very much bearable. "Okay," Tony huffed briefly, then let go of him, which made him swaying a little, but he quickly collected himself. Meanwhile his friend of course continued to speak. "Let's pretend, that this isn't crazy as shit. Steve you'll stay with me. Thor, you can go now, make some lightning."

For almost a minute Thor didn't move, maybe he couldn't decide, that he should leave his two team-mate alone, or not. At the end he turned over, and walked away, then whirled his hammer, before he vanished into the battle. Steve in the next moment started to run towards the street's end followed closely by Iron Man. They didn't have to search for the enemy for too long, and Steve with renewed strength jumped at them. As the long minutes turned into something blur, he couldn't quite condescend the passing of the time. But one thing was clear, he could feel it in the back of his mind, that he hardly could wait for the woman's arrival.

The searing, hot pain unexpectedly struck down at him, so forcefully, that for a second he couldn't breathe, then he became aware of, that somebodies were shouting. He needed a few seconds to realized, that one of them was himself. Of course Tony appeared at his side at once speaking to him in a hurry, however Steve couldn't understand it, as Natasha and Clint's frantic questions through the comm were also fuzzy. Everything became hazy, but with blurry eyes he could see the mutants, who immediately ran towards them. He fell down on the ground, when the pain hit him, and this was certainly the perfect opportunity for the enemy to attack them. He couldn't let them, so he stood up with set teeth, and continued the fight. Actually he didn't know, how he could still stand, because the pain didn't lessen. And perhaps thanks to this, the mistakes came again and again, and he found himself on the ground more often, than before. Iron Man covered him, but it wasn't enough with the others far away from them. The captain stood up slowly after the last fall. He felt dizzy abruptly, and he couldn't shake off the exhaustion. He felt, that he couldn't stand any longer, couldn't think, and couldn't care.

"Shellhead," he called out with low and weak voice, but Tony heard it anyway.

"Yes, Winghead?"

Iron Man turned towards him, while he shot down the last man. He stood not far from him, the mutants' bodies lay around them, and Steve was very much grateful for the short break.

"I think I'm… gonna faint…"

While he spoke, he felt, that his shield started to slip out from his right hand – he didn't have enough strength to hold it anymore. Everything was consumed by the unbearable pain, by the ache in his heart, and as he felt himself fall towards the ground, he was happy. If he lose his consciousness, he won't feel this agony. From somewhere came Tony's frightened cry, but before his friend's words could reach his mind, he finally blacked out.


	12. Chapter twelve

Quick note about the chapter: The little poem is mine. However I'm not sure, what you're gonna think about it. I'm not so good with rhymes, and I wrote this in English, which isn't my first language. I hope, you will like it.

Now to the twelfth chapter:

* * *

ACROSS THE WORLDS

Main pairs: Steve Rogers/OC, Tony Stark/Pepper Potts, Natasha Romanoff/Clint Barton

Other characters: Bruce Banner, Thor, Nick Fury, Maria Hill, OC

Everything, which Marvel, isn't belong to me, but my OCs (characters and places) are my own imagination.

* * *

CHAPTER TWELVE

Lyanna fainted after thirty minutes, and Eislyn suddenly didn't know, what to do. She wanted to scream – as the Lady did before –, or jump out from the ship, and kill someone – they descended near to the ground, and currently flew somewhere in a city. At the end the latter availability won. She immediately hit the comm on the wall.

"Krillen, send someone here! Lady Lyanna fainted."

She knew, that at their stop she won't be able to carry her friend. In this case she rather wanted to fight, instead of waiting – she was very happy, that they headed towards a battle. When one of the elhen man arrived at Lyanna's door, she nodded to him, then left. Eislyn turned towards the cockpit, but in the next moment something shook the Nuria, which stopped abruptly in the next second. She immediately started to run.

"What happened?" she asked, when she arrived at the cockpit panting.

"Something electric hit disabled the Nuria," answered Krillen, while his hands jumped fast back and forth on the control panel. He stopped only to look back Eislyn for a moment, then his hands' movements continued. "Everything paralysed."

"Nothing works here too." The resigned voice came from the left, so Eislyn turned that way. Its owner was a black haired man – the woman remembered, that after their departure, he introduced himself as Marius –, with short curls, and with a big, muscular body. He was the navigator on the ship. "I don't know who is responsible for this, but if I'll find out, I guarantee, they will regret this. It was a shitty move."

Something shook the Nuria somewhere above their heads, so they all looked up to listen the sounds, which seeped through the ship's metal parts. Then they watched as three body fell down at the cockpit's window, before a man in armour and with a red cape jumped after them. In his right hand there was something, like a hammer, which he immediately threw away, then he ran out from their view.

"I think, it's time to go," said Krillen slowly, while everybody still stared at the men on the ground before them. "Let's find the captain. We can come back for the ship later."

Eislyn nodded mutely, then turned around to walk out from the cockpit – she wanted to be next to Lady Lyanna –, however Zolon's stunned voice stopped her.

"Damn…" As the woman looked at the blonde elhen, she quickly realized, that he was gawking at something outside. "He should be already unconscious."

There was marvel in his voice, and when Eislyn followed his eyes, she understood at once. The elhens stared together at the scene before their eyes – Lady Lyanna's mate was still on his feet. The Nuria wasn't too far away from the man, so they could easily watch his fight. He wore his weird uniform, and currently was hitting a man with his shield. Then another man jumped up at him, and he fell on the ground. Because the window, they couldn't hear anything, but seeing his opened mouth, it was probable, that he's crying out in pain. After a few seconds he stood up very slowly, then swayed a little, while he looked at his left. Eislyn eyes followed his gaze, and she caught sight of a red and gold robot. At that exact moment it shot down a man, then quickly turned towards the captain. They probably communicated with each other, because they stared at each other, then in the next minute, the shield slipped out from the man's right hand, and the man started to fall backwards.

"Let's get out of here," said Krillen suddenly, and he already jumped up from his seat to head out. "We don't have too much time."

Everyone hurried after the elhen captain, and before Eislyn would follow him, she looked out through the window one more time. She could just see, as the robot caught Lyanna's soulmate, before the man could hit the ground. Eislyn started to run, while only one thought swirled in her mind – their time came to closer to the end, because the man finally fainted.

* * *

For a few minutes he couldn't breathe, and couldn't move. He was on his knees, leaning on his arms, and even this task was incredibly difficult. Then in a flash the pain was gone, and he sucked some air freely for the first time. Actually he couldn't quite remember the last time, when he felt himself so good. He sat back on his feet, then looked around, and as he observed his surroundings, he realized, that he's dreaming. It was the only explanation for the fact, that he was in a forest.

Steve slowly got on his feet, still looking around. During one turn he noticed his shield on the ground at one step away, however he didn't bend down for it, because his eyes always jumped back at the trees. They were huge, Steve has never ever seen so wide tree trunk, like these were. When he leant his head back to look up, he couldn't even see their highest point. And of course he couldn't see the sky neither. Most likely this was the reason, why there were several lanterns on the trees, otherwise there was definitely jet-black dark on the ground. He couldn't explain why, but he reached out with his right arm to touch one of the trees. As his hand made contact with the trunk, he immediately hissed – the stabbing pain in his palm was bearable, but still it hurt –, and jerked back his hand, then stared down. He surprisingly saw, that his palm covered with his blood. He didn't even remember, when he was injured. Then in one minute everything rushed through him – the fight in Richmond, the hot pain. And in the end he fainted. Steve looked around one more time, before he reached down for his shield with his left arm. He didn't worry about his palm, because he knew, that it will heal quickly, though he concentrated not to touch anything with it. While he slowly started to walk somewhere, Steve tried to find some explanation, his palm why was injured in his dream. He didn't succeed. Maybe he somehow bruised it with the handle of the shield during the fight, but how it appeared in his dream, he didn't understand.

After a few steps, he noticed a stairs going up around one of the wide tree trunks. Steve put the shield on his uniform's back, then step on the first stair-step. As he got higher and higher, a feeling woke in his mind – something pulled him. Something or someone, and this made him ascend faster. He hurried upwards taking the steps two at a time. He didn't even watch his surroundings, he just wanted to find out, who or what caused this. Then he heard the song. The voice was faint – probably was far away from him –, but a shudder still passed over him, as he suddenly came to a halt. He couldn't take out the words in the song, but the tune was beautiful with an instrument in the background. His heart's beating quickened, while he continued his path. Now he had a purpose, to find the source of this beautiful voice. When he finally reached a door, he was so high, that if he wanted to look down, he possibly couldn't see the forest's ground. The door was open, and as he slowly walked into the tree house, he couldn't see the singer yet, but now he could understand the song.

 _My heart beats for you,_

 _Your eyes are so blue._

 _I just want to sink,_

 _Into them I think._

The hall in the house, to where he stepped into, was large with a high ceiling. There were two corridors to the left and to the right, and the huge room before him. The latter seemed like a living room. In the centre there was a fountain – it was a little bit weird, in a room a fountain, but he didn't complain –, behind it a stairway and a balcony in front of the house's entrance. There were a lot of open-aired place in the hall, but there were a few couches too. The woman, who sang, sat there, and seeing her dark brown hair and her back, Steve's breath hitched. As he reached the middle of the room, and turned around to look at the woman, her song stopped, so Steve spoke quickly.

"Please don't stop," he rushed to encourage her to continue. A small smile appeared on her beautiful face, then she sang again.

Steve couldn't take away his eyes from here. She was her soulmate. If he hadn't recognized her, he still would have realized this. His franticly beating heart was very good evidence. He sat down on the edge of the fountain, while he gazed at her. The instrument in her hands was strange, he never saw anything like this. It was like a guitar, but still different. Its body was smaller and rounder, and the neck for the fingers was too long, but the body had a hole as the guitars have. He knew, that guitars have six strings, this instrument had four. The woman's left hand glided gracefully on the string, while her right moved over the hole, her voice was gentle and Steve just couldn't get enough hearing her.

 _Our souls sing love,_

 _You and me, Beloved,_

 _Will fly on the sky,_

 _And we will not die._

 _We won't feel the pain_

 _Won't come back again._

 _This is our fate,_

 _My dearest soulmate._

The song ended, and she raised her eyes to meet with his. Steve gasped for the second time, and he perfectly knew, that he probably looked like a fool, because he couldn't say a word, just stared into turquoise blue. He couldn't look away, even if he wanted to. The woman was the one, who tore away her gaze from him at first, to cry out in the next moment.

"You're hurt!"

Steve followed here widened eyes to his right palm. He was currently leaning on his knees with his elbows, so his damaged palm was clearly visible.

"It's nothing," he hurried to reassure her. His palm ached a little – it certainly dulled in the past minutes, while he walked up the stairs –, but this surely wasn't his worst injury, so he easily coped with it. "It's going to heal in the next few hours."

The woman didn't seem assured. This is maybe why she quickly put down her instrument to sit next to him, then she gently took his right hand. Steve feared, that he's going to die, because his heart suddenly stopped, as her fingers touched his skin. The air rushed out from him, and he immediately started to feel the hotness on his face, which of course went down onto his neck too. He had to force himself to calm, while his mate tended his palm with feathery touches. She wet a kerchief with the water of the fountain, then she carefully cleaned up his blooded palm. When the blood vanished from his skin, it was evident, that the scars already half healed. The woman bandaged up his palm though. When she was done, his breathe was ragged, and his voice, when he spoke in the next moment, was hoarse.

"Thank you." Her smile was bright in answer to him, and his mouth slowly turned into a similar smile. "My name is Steve Rogers."

Regarding his dreams, he couldn't remember, if he introduced himself or not, so he thought, it would be proper to do it now. His mate's eyes started to shine, then with a soft voice she replied.

"I'm Lyanna," she said, before she continued. "According to your world's habit, my whole name should be Lyanna Celebhestiel, but here we usually use only our first name."

"Where are we?" Steve asked, because he suddenly realized, he hadn't the remotest conception about his whereabouts. He guessed, he just walked into her home. He recalled the conversations between Thor and himself, and when he said, that his soulmate possibly doesn't live on the Earth. "We aren't on Earth, are we?"

"Earth?" Lyanna shook her head for a second, while her eyed him with confusion, but after a few minutes she seemed to gain some understanding. "You mean Terra?"

"Terra?" asked back Steve feeling himself really stupid to not understand anything. Then everything came down, and he laughed a little. "Yeah, Terra. But we call the planet Earth."

Lyanna's smile was infectious, as they looked at each other – her name was as beautiful as she herself. His mate wore a pale purple dress, which creased around her legs completely covering them, and showing her graceful shape. Its sleeves reached her elbows, gave a good look on her fair skin on her forearm. However not this, but the dress' neck-line drew his gaze. The skin there, and her breasts' silhouette under the material. His blush deepened. He certainly has never felt such a strong desire to reach out and touch something, as now. It was really frightening. He usually could keep in check his emotions. It seemed, in Lyanna's company, he will have some control problems.

After several seconds, she again shook her head.

"No, we're not on Earth. We're on Elhenion." She sent a hesitant look at him. "Would you like to look around?"

Steve of course wanted to look around. After all the man didn't got a lot of chance to see another planet. They stood up from the edge of the fountain, then Lyanna took his left hand, before she led him towards the stairs. They climbed up silently, while Steve tried to calm his heart, because their contact caused some heartbeat problems. He didn't know, if the woman felt the same, but when she looked at him for a briefly moment, her face was flushed. It just enhanced his. He wasn't able to observe the home's other parts – his eyes only saw her. Then they stepped out through a door, and he suddenly found something else to stare at.

They were on a balcony on the highest point of the huge tree. This height gave the perfect sight over the forest and beyond that. As Steve looked around, he realized, the forest is enormous, but in the distant he could see mountains too. Possibly there were other places, however the forest covered them.

"We call the forest Lights of Souls," Lyanna spoke beside him, so Steve turned towards her. She reached out with his right arm to show around. "Because the many lanterns, which continuously give us light in the forest's darkness." She stopped just to point a mountain far away. "Those are the Silver Mountains, and behind them you can find the Silver Lake. Its name is ancient, but I think it was named after the phenomenon, when the water and the leaves on the trees shine silvery by the moon." She stared at the far-away mountains, and Steve followed her gaze, however after a few minutes, he couldn't help himself, his eyes returned back at her. And abruptly he wanted to pull her for a hug, because she suddenly seemed sad. Her voice carried sorrow too, when she continued to speak very quietly. "I'm going to miss Elhenion."

Steve stepped closer to her, and after taking her right hand into his larger one, he squeezed it. When Thor mentioned, that he has a soulmate, it was unbelievable, but as the time passed, he got used to this thought. Now he couldn't understand, why he didn't accept this in the first time. It was enough to grab her hand, looking into her blue eyes, and he immediately and subconsciously knew, they are meant to be together.

"We can come back here, whenever you want," he told Lyanna softly, then he waited, until she looked up at him. "You're my soulmate, not my prisoner. We're in this together. You don't have to abandon your home."

A small sigh left the woman's lips, as she smiled sadly at him.

"It's complicated."

"Then please explain it," Steve immediately asked her.

There was another sigh, before Lyanna started to speak. Steve really didn't like her tone, and the way as she talked, as she stared away almost without a blink.

"There is someone, who I don't wish to see in the future, and because he's here, I will rather stay with you at your home."

"Who?" The question was out from Steve's mouth, before he could think over. Lyanna turned towards him, their eyes met, and what he saw in them made Steve's blood boil suddenly.

"I don't want to talk about it. Please."

Steve forced his anger down, before he slowly nodded. They were in their dream, while he was unconscious somewhere in Richmond. It was absolutely not the right time to go after, why his mate doesn't want to return to her home planet. He had a bad feeling about this, so he was sure, that he's going to find out the reasons in the future. At that moment he decided to rather change the subject. He raised his eyes, and looked around again. Everything was so vivid. The colour of the nature – blues, greens, reds, oranges, and several other colour's variation – looked like a painting. Vivid and vibrant.

"It's so real," Steve said after a few seconds, still gazing around. "How is it possible? I'm dreaming."

"My assumption is, that we arrived to you. Actually I don't remember that." Steve turned to her, so he could see, as she just shook her head. "There were a lot of pain, this is, what I know. I think, our mind linked together."

The captain couldn't disagree with this train of thought. He nodded for the second time, and wanted to ask something about the planet, just to watch the woman's gentle smile, but then he heard something.

"Captain!"

"Did you hear that too?" he asked immediately, while he cocked his ears to listen.

"What? I didn't hear anything."

Lyanna was confused, it was all over her face, however Steve could swear on it, that he heard the shout. They fell into silence after that, and for a few seconds nothing happened. Then suddenly there was again.

"Captain Rogers!"

Steve was on the stairs in a second. His mate cried after him, but this didn't stop his steps. After a few rounds – meantime he passed a floor – he arrived into the huge hall with the fountain, and he turned around several times. His started to feel again his quickened heartbeat, and when Lyanna reached him, he looked her worriedly.

"We have to wake up," he spoke rashly, and the woman's eyes widened hearing this.

Wherever they were in the real world, it wasn't safe. It was possible, that they currently surrounded by mutants. And maybe Iron Man was there, and Thor too, but he was out cold, which didn't help his team-mates. He had to wake up, it was their only chance. But he was certainly exhausted, because he didn't sleep too much in the past days, and during the fight he constantly was in pain. Steve abruptly wasn't too confident, how they will do this. He was sure, without help he won't be able to wake up. He took a long breath, before he slowly blew it out. There was only one way, but as he watched Lyanna's frightened face, he didn't know, if it's the best choice.

There was another cry.

"Captain!"

They started to run out of time. Steve reached down towards one of his pockets on his uniform with a sigh. Natasha forced the little gun on him before they could depart from New York. The redheaded assassin was adamant, and Steve couldn't do anything, just to accept it. He didn't even want to think over it, why the woman insisted to have a gun, when he only used his shield. Now this turned into a very clever choice.

"What are you doing?!"

His soulmate clearly wasn't understand, why he took out a gun. Steve took another long sigh, because he knew, it's going to be very messy, and he'll have to act quickly. While he checked over the small weapon, he tried to calm down the woman.

"You don't have to worry." Lyanna started to open her mouth, probably to protest, so he quickly continued. "Please, let me finish. My friend made me a device, which avert any heart attack in my dreams. I wake up immediately, when I get closer to death." Just to confirm his words, he rolled back the right arm of the suit to show the bracelet on his wrist. Lyanna didn't look convinced, so Steve hurriedly continued. "I can't wake up without any trick, I'm too tired. This is the only chance. And I have to wake up, because there's danger outside. You can get hurt." The last sentence was breathless and so quiet, that Steve wasn't sure, Lyanna could even hear it. He slowly held up the gun towards his head, as he gazed at the woman. Lyanna cried silently, and this made him swallow. "Everything will be all right," Steve reassured not just her, but himself too, then he pulled the trigger.

In one minute there was a loud scream and a blinding pain in his temple, then he gasped for air, and his eyes opened. He lay on a couch in a very uncomfortable position, while he felt, that the fingers of his left hand almost touched his shield. A quick look around took just a few seconds, but as his surroundings registered in him, he noticed the man above him. His left arm unconsciously grabbed his shield, than he struck with it.


	13. Chapter thirteen

ACROSS THE WORLDS

Main pairs: Steve Rogers/OC, Tony Stark/Pepper Potts, Natasha Romanoff/Clint Barton

Other characters: Bruce Banner, Thor, Nick Fury, Maria Hill, OC

Everything, which Marvel, isn't belong to me, but my OCs (characters and places) are my own imagination.

* * *

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Tony Stark had fun. In spite of that he was horribly worried for his friend minutes ago. After all, Steve fainted on him in the middle of a fight, which have never happened before. He was a super soldier with a super serum, and yet, the captain fell, like a doll. Then the unfamiliar people came, speaking the most ridiculous explanation, that Steve has to go with them. Because Cap was his friend, Iron Man didn't leave him alone. He couldn't trust these strangers, who actually could fight pretty well. It became clear, when they temporarily encamped in an entrance hall of a slightly demolished office building. The mutants somehow found them, so Tony had to fight along with these strange people, while Steve was unconscious on a couch next to a woman. There was another woman, who made a comment previously, which implied, she thought, he is a robot. It was might an insult, and yet, Tony just laughed hearing this. Maybe the concern for his friend damaged his brain, because he couldn't do anything, than laugh. And more mutants came, and it was expected, that they got down on the floor. Iron Man quit from the fight unfortunately, but as he lay on the floor shakily, he forced his arm to move to shoot down a few mutants. Especially, who tried to sneak up on Steve and the un-known woman. It was damn difficult, when some from the enemy attack him again, while he was still on the ground – he declared this move very unfair. Then the other woman started to shout.

"Captain!" There was a short silence, then she called out again. "Captain Rogers!"

Tony thought about the situation, and then came to the conclusion, that maybe he would be very glad, if someone explain him some things. For example, why that woman knows Cap's name? In the next second she shouted again, and Tony had to roll his eyes. He clearly saw, that Steve was out, and he didn't think, that some shouting can wake up the captain. After a few minutes he was positively disappointed – Steve left arm swung forcefully, and hit the guy, who dared to approach him. And after that the mutants ran towards him, as if all of them would want a piece from his friend. Iron Man found himself alone in a fight, and this was freakingly weird. He wanted to help Steve, but the last electric shock was too strong, and he still trembled, and couldn't entirely move. And this was annoying. The other guys weren't any better situation. The first man, who wanted to jump on Steve flew back a few meters, while the shield hit a wall sinking in it. Rest of the mutants stopped, but didn't turn away their eyes from the blonde soldier.

"Give up, human," said one of them. Each of them stared at the woman on the couch, like a shark. Tony could see their hungry look, and surely his friend too. "You don't have much chance. Just give up, and your death will be pleasant. And after that we will have fun with the woman."

"Over my fucking dead body!"

Tony's brows ran up into his forehead, while he watched the whole scene. The mutants wanted Steve dead, and obviously wanted the woman, who still lay on the couch behind Steve. And interestingly his soldier friend wasn't too happy hearing this. The shield was in his left hand in a minute. Tony didn't see his face, but his posture was rigid. Over the years Tony learnt, if the enemy got the captain angry, not Steve was the one, who always came off badly. He was a super soldier, for God's sake! Iron Man just hoped, that his heart condition won't cause a problem.

"Guys, we found Collums' lab." It was Natasha. "The mutants have some kind of chip, which provides their electric talent. I think I just managed to shut it off. Do you copy?"

And the hell broke out. Or with other words, Steve jumped against the mutants. It seemed, there wasn't any medical problem at the tower, because the captain was as energetic as it was possible.

"Guys? Do I have to go to there? Are you okay?"

Apparently Black Widow didn't like, when no one answers to her. Tony suddenly realized, that he's grinning.

"We're fine, Widow," he replied with cheerful voice. "Really. Okay, not too fine, because I'm on the floor, but Cap's currently beating the shit out from these guys, and this is so beautiful!"

"Fuck me…"

Tony turned his head to his right, where one of the strangers kneeled. The man stared with wide eyes towards the fight, and it made Tony just grin more. The guy clearly was stunned.

"Were you hit with too many electricity?" Iron Man could hear the red headed assassin dry question. "Why are you on the floor? Why don't you help Cap?"

"Hey! Give me some credit." Tony slowly sat up, and leant down on his arms. As he looked around after this, saw, that everyone stared Steve's fight. He felt, that he have to share this with the woman. "If you want to know, is everyone sitting around."

"Everyone?"

"Yeah. Maybe I didn't mention before, but we have visitors, and they're actually pretty good."

There was a sigh in the comm, and Tony could guess, that he's going to get some smart retort, so he already opened his mouth to stop this, when Steve threw away his shield for the last time, then called it back immediately.

"If you say something, Shellhead, what I think, you want to say, I will hit you with my shield."

His blonde friend's drawling came suddenly, so he snapped up his head to gaze at the man. Steve stood in the middle of a mutant body heap, and he didn't even look tired. It was so calming. Tony slowly stood up – it was yet a little bit hard, because his nerves didn't work properly – grinningly, even if he knew, the man couldn't see his cheerfulness. He wanted to say something about his state, but the guy next to him prevented this.

"You didn't even pant!"

Steve's face turned red, and he looked down at his legs embarrassedly. Iron Man decided, that he could help him out.

"Yes, because he's a super soldier," Tony said, sending a proud look toward the man, when he realized, that the stranger couldn't see it, thanks to the Iron Man helmet. He groaned, then with cautious move, walked to Steve. "Hey, are you all right?" he asked him, who's answer was a small smile.

"Yes." Steve took a big breath, and his smile just got bigger. "Actually I have never been this fine."

"This is why you rampaged over these guys?" Tony pointed to the mass of mutant, who lay on the floor motionlessly. "Not if I don't mind. It was a lovely sight from where I sat."

"Shellhead." Steve was grinning now. "I'm not in pain."

Tony had to admit, he hoped, that maybe sometimes Steve's pain passes, even if he didn't know actually how he's going to cure his friend. His grin widened so much, that his face almost hurt, and started to open his mouth to say something funny, but he was interrupted again. This time there was a loud gasp, which made him and Steve too spin towards it. As it seemed, it came from the woman, who clearly woke up, then stood up from the couch. And stared at Steve with big eyes.

"Steve…"

Her voice was hardly audible, then her eyes rolled back. Steve immediately dropped his shield, and caught the woman just before she could hit the floor. Tony reached down for the shield, while he watched as his friend gently lowered the woman onto the couch. It was weird, because he have never seen Steve so tender with someone before. Tony came to the decision, that he can't hold back his question anymore.

"Um, Steve?" He waited, until the blonde looked back at him, still kneeling on the couch, holding the woman's hands with his ones. "Care to tell me, what's going on?"

Steve's face bloomed with a wide smile, then he point at the woman with his head.

"She's my soulmate."

"Right."

Abruptly Tony didn't know, how to react to Steve's declaration. It was just enough to hear something so strange like this from Thor – because technically he was an alien after all –, but hearing it from Steve also was too much. So he didn't say anything. Fortunately his friend didn't wait any answer, because he turned back to the woman. As Tony stood there, and watched the captain soft gaze, the other guys slowly came closer. He looked around them until his eyes stopped at the man, who previously was so stunned seeing Steve's fight. He had long, dark hair, which he braided together at the back of his neck. The man watched Steve and the woman for a few minutes, then he turned towards him.

"They can't stay here."

"Tony, can you tell me, what's going on there?"

As the man spoke, Natasha also trough the comm. He just realized at that moment, that there were noises of a fight on the other side. Probably this is why the woman didn't demand any explanation before. Tony moved his head to the strange pair on the couch, and suddenly didn't even know, how to tell the situation to Natasha. It was just his guess, that maybe the assassin has some suspicions, but otherwise neither she or Clint knew about Steve's condition.

"Hey, Iron Man. We can't find out, what's damn happening with you guys, so it would be nice, if you say something. Because Nat is kinda freaking out."

It was Barton this time, and when Tony wanted to shoot back some smart answer, there was another voice over the comm. Just that the previously persons wouldn't be enough.

"Stark, where are you? The jet's in Richmond."

As Nick Fury's sudden voice died away, Steve's face turned towards him with a frown. Because he lost his helmet somewhere, his disapproving look was clearly visible.

"Hey, don't look me like this!" protested immediately Tony. "I just did, what I felt the best for you at that moment."

There was a sigh coming from Steve, who shook his head, then gazed down at the woman. He stayed like this for a few minutes, before he raised his eyes to look around the hall.

"Where are we?" he asked quietly, with a questioning look. "I think, Shellhead, you perfectly know, where did you take me."

Maybe his friend resigned himself to accept Tony's decision. But Tony wasn't sure about this, yet, he couldn't pass this opportunity. He answered Fury.

"We are in an office building. The jet can land on the roof. Jarvis will send you our coordinate." Then he addressed his next words to his A.I. "Do it, J."

"Yes, sir."

"You know, we're still waiting for some explanations," chimed in Black Widow in the next second, which made Tony groan loudly. "Because apparently you're just relaxing somewhere, while we doing your job."

"Did you find something?" Steve's voice turned into serious, as he continuously kneeled on the couch. "Did you find Collums?"

"Not yet, but we suspect, where he can be," came back immediately Natasha reply, and the captain nodded.

"All right, Widow. If you find him, don't confront him alone. Tell us, and we go."

Hearing Steve's command Tony sighed. It seemed, that the blonde man didn't want to leave yet. When the dark haired man started to speak next to him, it became clear, that not just himself was the one, who didn't like this idea.

"Do you understand, captain, that Lady Lyanna can't stay here?"

"Of course." Steve looked up at the man with an easily readable expression – he maybe didn't like the assumption, that he would let the woman remain in the middle of a battle. "Iron Man," he gestured towards Tony, "called our boss, who sent a jet, which, I'm sure, is going to land on the roof in a few minutes. She can go away with it."

"But you have to go with her," cut in the other woman, and her voice was full of desperation. "If you separate from each other, you will be in pain again."

There was a long silence. Tony tried to process, what's going on, and possibly his friend too, because his face was tense by his thinking. Tony could guess, what's happening in Steve's mind. He knew him after all. Steve was a soldier, their leader, and had a big conscience, if he dealt with Avengers stuffs. He already knew, what Steve is going to say, before he even could open his mouth.

"But I can't leave."

Tony could feel the hesitation in his friend's words. It was evident, that as captain he felt, that he has to stay with his team, but he definitely didn't want his previous pain's return. Tony didn't want the pain either. He never wanted to experience again that horrible moment, when the captain was screaming in pain, then fainted. He started to search for something believable reason, with which he could persuade his friend into accepting Fury's help. He didn't really find any, however Natasha's next report made it easier.

"Guys, I think, we found Collums. And I don't think S.H.I.E.L.D. will be able to interrogate him."

"It's really-really disgusting," came Clint's voice too with a gagging noise. "Please make a note about this. Don't let yourself shock into death by a lot of mutants, who are able to create electric shocks, because it will be very messy."

"It seems, that his own mutants attacked him," took back the conversation Natasha in the comm, then sighed long. "But it isn't over yet. There are still mutants out there, and we still didn't check every room here. We should find them, before they break the whole city."

Tony watched as Steve still struggled with his thoughts, so he put his left hand onto his shoulder – carefully mindful of the gauntlet – to squeeze it.

"Hey, Steve." He waited until the blonde turned at him, before he continued. "Collums isn't our problem anymore, and because the mutants lost their most important weapon, we can catch them. Your absence won't affect us." He squeezed Steve's shoulder again, then pointed with his helmet at the strangers around them. "And I'm sure, that these guys will happily help us. Just take her to home."

He still had questions, but they could wait for a little longer. He hardly understood this whole soulmate thing, however if his friend has to stick together with the woman in the following minutes to avoid any pain, he was damn sure, that he won't let the captain stay with him.

"Go," he said.

"All right." Steve slowly straightened, after a short nod, but he didn't let go of the woman's hands. "Is there a leader among you?" he asked after that, while he looked around. His captain face returned, and maybe this was so effective, because the man next to Tony hurried to answer.

"Yes, I am the Nuria's, our ship's captain."

Steve nodded again, then reached into his right ear.

"Here." In his hand there was the little earpiece, which he held out towards the man in the next second. "Just put it in your ear. It will allow you to be connected with my team." Steve waited for the man to accept the little device, and when it happened, he nodded for the third time, then stepped closer to Tony to take back his shield. As the man put his famous weapon onto his back, he sent a warning look towards him. "Shellhead, please don't do anything stupid, while I'm not here."

"You wounded me, captain," grumbled Tony. He tried to play the affronted one, but his voice clearly showed his amusement. Thanks to his helmet his grin wasn't visible. "I never do anything stupid."

"I would say otherwise," replied Steve with a little smile, before he shook his head. "I know you, Shellhead."

"All right, you won," Tony raised his hands in submission, but he still grinned. "I promised, I won't do anything too stupid."

There was a long sigh, as Steve rolled his eyes. It was possible, that he didn't trust him, however he didn't forced the subject. Instead of he turned back towards the woman to lean down to pick her up into his arms. Tony had to hold back his snort, because he never saw the soldier move so gentle before.

"Steve," he spoke, before the man would start to walk towards the elevator, and the blonde looked at him questioningly. "Take care, okay? And don't be concerned with the debriefing. I'll speak with Fury, if we're done here."

"Thanks."

After a short nod Steve stepped into the lift, which could take them up onto the roof. Tony waited until the doors closed, then he turned towards the little group around him. He was grinning, which unfortunately the guys couldn't see.

"Anyone wants to hunt some mutants?"

Nobody protested, but when he started to walk out from the building leading the strangers, he caught the only woman's uncertain eyes.

"Don't you need some repair? Or something like this, I don't really know, how you work."

So the woman still believed, that he's a robot, thought Tony, and he almost couldn't control his laugh. If they are going to come to New York with them – it was possible, that they will follow the other woman –, he will have so much fun. His grin widened until it almost hurt. He shook his head.

"Um. No," he replied, and he couldn't stop himself after that, so he added. "Because I'm a genius. A genius playboy, philanthropist robot."

He decided to leave out the billionaire part – that would be too incredible with a robot. Of course the woman stared at him with big eyes. It was funny, and made Tony laughing silently.

"You're a robot now, Stark?"

Clint's sarcastic question came in the next second, and because the strange guy already put Steve's earpiece into his ear, the man's brow went up questioningly. Tony sent a warning look towards him to keep him silent, when he realized, that the Iron Man helmet prevented this. Tony groaned, shook his head, then he answered with a growly voice.

"Shut up, Birdie!"

* * *

Just a quick note in the end:

Firstly: I just want to thank to those, who commented, subscribed and favorited this story. This means a lot to me. When I started this fic, I never thought, that I will write this much (and I didn't write the half of it yet) in a language, which isn't my first language. You keep me going, so thank you!

Secondly: Unfortunately the chapters won't come so often from now on. The first reason, because the school year started, and I won't have as much time as during the summer. The second reason, because I want to write other stories. For example my Stony fic, which I already started, and I'm writing it constantly along the Across the Worlds. And I want to write my own novel (actually I'm already writing this), which is in my own language. This last story is my favourite, maybe because it's mine, and I have been writing this for a few years now, and I really want to finish it. Currently I really want to concentrate on this, but I promise, that I will write the Across the Worlds too (I already started the next chapter). I think I'll be able to upload at least one chapter in one month. Thank you for your patience.


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